April 18, 2006
WICHITA, Kan. -
Samantha Richdale made the biggest comeback in positioning than any other player at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference held at the Reflection Ridge Golf Club in Wichita, Kan. Richdale's medalist honors led the Illinois State women's golf team to a second place finish, only two strokes shy of Bradley's first place score of 915.
Head coach Ray Kralis was proud of his team's effort, but realizes the importance of each stroke.
"We played pretty solid today even with the winds significantly up from yesterday," said Kralis. "Hats off to Bradley. They played a good round today and had a couple key people step up for them, which gave them some scores they really needed. It came down to the wire with just those last three holes. It looked like it was going to be a thrilling finish, in the end you come up two shots short and in the big picture of three rounds -- two is not too much -- so that's what makes it a little tough to take."
Going from 21st place after round one to finish tied for first place for the overall tournament, Richdale made the largest jump in positions out of any other player in the Valley. Illinois State was in seventh place and 16 strokes out of first place after the first nine holes of the tournament, but still managed to come back and land second place with a 54-hole score of 917 (303,304,310).
Leading her team, Richdale battled back to become the tournament medalist for the third time in four years. Her three times winning or sharing the league individual title (won in 2003, tied in 2004 and 2006a Missouri Valley Conference record. Richdale joins Jen Cully (1988-91) as the only two golfers in Redbird history--and four in Valley history--to earn all-conference honors four times.
Kralis acknowledges this is the end of the season for his team, yet still finds a positive angle.
"This was a great way for Sam to end her Missouri Valley career with a gold medalist award here," said Kralis. "I think she will go on individually to the regional championship, our team will be done, but I believe she will be a regional pick. They will take the top three players in the central region, not from any of the teams going, and she looks pretty good to move on."
Although Richdale was able to come back to take the tournament, she was not alone in representing the heavy competition the Redbirds offered throughout the tournament--four Redbirds landed a position in the top-10. Senior Ashlie Rose landed eighth place with 230 (76,78,76), freshman Kaitlin Troop took ninth place with 231 (76,75,80) and junior Hilary Anderson tied for 10th place with 232 (74,79,79). Junior Olivia Campos tied for 28th place with 240 (77,81,82) and freshman Marci Hill tied for 38th place with 248 (79,82,87)--both putting up career bests in round one of the tournament.
"It was a nice run," said Kralis. "We wanted to make it a three-peat and came up just a little short, but over the last four years we've had a second place, two wins and now another second place. Both of our seconds came down to Bradley by only two shots."
The Redbirds, trying to join Tulsa (1994-95-96) as the second team in Valley history to win three straight titles, were just four strokes short of winning four straight league titles. Tied after 54 holes, they lost on a one-hole playoff to Bradley in 2003 and then fell by two strokes to the Braves in 2006. Despite Bradley's fourth team title in eight years, Illinois State still has won more Valley women's golf titles (eight) than any other league team. The `Birds finished first or second 13 times in 24 league tournaments.
