BECKER, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's golf team close out its season beginning Saturday, taking part in the 54-hole Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships at Pebble Creek Golf Course.
 
The MIAC Championships Field:
• Gustavus, St. Olaf, Saint Benedict, Carleton, St. Thomas, Saint Mary's, Augsburg, Bethel, Concordia, Macalester, St. Catherine
 
MIAC Championships Live On The Web
• Live Stats | Championships Homepage | MIAC Preview
 
The MIAC Championships Course:
• Course Website | Directions
 
Saint Mary's At 2016 MIAC Championships:
• October 8-9-10, 2016 * Bunker Hills Golf Course * Coon Rapids, Minn.: Madison Gately (Glenview, Ill.) made her third round of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships her best, as the senior carded a team-best 86 to help Saint Mary's to a ninth-place finish in the 54-hole event. Kaitlin Kling (LeRoy, Minn.), the Cardinals' top performer in the opening two rounds of the three-day event—including an opening-round nine-over-par 81—finished with a 94 on Monday for a team-low 261 total (81-86-94). Gately kicked off her final MIAC Championships with a 91, and followed that up with an 89 and an 86 for a 266 | Day 1 Recap * Day 2 Recap * Day 3 Recap
 
2016 MIAC Championships Recap:
• October 8-9-10, 2016 * Bunker Hills Golf Course * Coon Rapids, Minn.: In just six years, St. Catherine has gone from its infant stages, all the way to conference champions. The Wildcats completed their incredible ascension up the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) standings by winning the 2016 championship—and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. St. Kate's held off a furious charge from Carleton, as the Knights jumped from fifth to second during Day 2, and actually took the lead on the back nine of the final round, but the Wildcats regained the lead and held on for their historic win. St. Catherine finished with a three-day, 54-hole total of 949 to claim the title. Though Carleton's final-day charge came up short, the Knights' Alyssa Akiyama played brilliantly to capture individual medalist honors. After shooting 77 each of the first two days, Akiyama shot a remarkable, MIAC Championships 18-hole record of 2-under-par 70 during the final round to vault into first place. The first-year golfer shot 224 over the three-day tournament to win by seven shots and tie the MIAC Women's Championships 54-hole scoring record. Akiyama tied the 224 shot by Gustavus' Katie Schenfeld in 2010, and her victory gave Carleton its fourth-straight individual MIAC champion | Day 1 Recap * Day 2 Recap * Day 3 Recap
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017 Roster | 2017 Schedule | 2017 Statistics
• Kaitlin Kling (LeRoy, Minn.) heads into her final MIAC Championships owning a team-best 83.0 scoring average. … Kling has led the Cardinals in scoring in all six rounds she's competed in this season. … With her opening-round 82 at the Wartburg Invitational on Sept. 10, Kling (LeRoy, Minn.) has shot 82 or better in three of her six competitive rounds this season. … Kling's season-best 79 during the second round of the season-opening Saint Benedict Invitational was two shots shy of her collegiate best. … Kling's 161 total (82-79) at the season-opening Saint Benedict Invitational was just two shots shy of her 36-hole school record. Kling carded an 80-79—159 at the D3 Classic a year ago. … Kling owns four collegiate rounds of 79 or better—the senior has posted three 79s and a career-best 77 during her four years as a Cardinal. … Kling's career-best 77 was just three shots shy of the school record 74 shot by Andrea Hanke at the Luther Invitational during the 2004 season. … Kling heads into this weekend's D3 Classic owning a team-best 82.2 scoring average. … Paula Avila (Weslaco, Texas) shot a career-best 93 during the opening round of the Wartburg Invitational on Sept. 9, and then whittled four strokes off that mark in the second round, finishing with a new career-low 89. … Avila heads into the MIAC Championships second to Kling in scoring average at 94.1. … Grace Gillis (New Ulm, Minn.) enjoyed a career weekend at the D3 Classic on Sept. 16-17. The sophomore posted a then-career-best 94 during the opening round of the 36-hole tournament, before shaving four strokes off that mark en route to a career-low 90 the following day. … Gillis followed up her 94-90—184 with two more rounds in the 90s at the Luther Invitational on Sept. 22-23, shooting 95-97—192. … Gillis ranked third on the team in scoring average at 98.8, followed by Michaela Heuckendorf (Plymouth, Minn. / 104.2). … Heuckendorf also posted a career-best round at the Wartburg Invitational, shooting an opening-round 89 on Sept. 9. … Saint Mary's posted its top team total of the season at the Wartburg Invitational on Sept. 9, shooting 368 in the opening round. The Cardinals added a 370 during the second day of the Luther Invitational on Sept. 23.