"Heading in our goal was to get out of the bottom third of the conference," Anna Johnson '08 said. "We know what a competitive conference this is, so we were overjoyed with our performance."

The Oles tied for their best finish in the last six years at the MIAC championships. The women placed fifth in 2002 and 1999, but were coming off a seventh place finish from a year ago.

Amy Springer '08 was the Oles top place finisher, tying for 12th place with rounds of 83 and 93.

"I felt great about my game on Saturday," Springer said. "I struggled a little with my swing on Sunday, but overall I felt like I finished on a good note.

Co-captain Berit Nelson '05 placed 17th with a score of 179. Johnson and Stacia Polzin '05 also went under 200 for the weekend.

The tournament, hosted by St. Olaf, was held at the Willinger Golf Club in Northfield. Willinger is regarded as one of the toughest courses in the state. It is known for its tight fairways and abundance of hazards, but was also rated in Golf Digest as One of the Best Places to Play Golf.

"I love the course, Springer said. "But there is a lot of water out there. It is a mental thing. This course can eat you up.

St. Thomas continued their dominance of the MIAC tournament, winning their fourth consecutive team title. The Tommies finished one stroke ahead of Gustavus.

The two teams have been battling for supremacy in the MIAC all season. Gustavus topped St. Thomas by 11 strokes in last month's Division III Midwest Classic in Owatonna, Minn.

Gustavus golfer Kelli Groff took home the MIAC Championship individual title, winning the tournament with a 36-hole score of 160.

The Oles will lose only three seniors next year, and head into their spring season with high hopes.

"We'll miss the seniors," Springer said. "But we are really excited about the spring because we know now what we are capable of and know that we have a lot of potential."

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