NEWTON, Kan. -- Denver claimed its third straight #SummitGF Women's Championship in record-setting fashion, while Pioneer junior Anna Zanusso did the same to earn Championship MVP honors Tuesday. It marks the program's seventh overall Summit League title and 20th NCAA Regional appearance.
The Pioneers and Zanusso led after each round and cemented their victories with impressive totals at the Sand Creek Station Golf Club. Denver, under the guidance of first-year head coach Martha Richards, set the team scoring mark with an 871 (+7) total, breaking the old record set by DU's 2016 championship team of 878 (+14) in Nebraska City, Neb. DU closed out the championship with a final-round team score of 294 (+6).
Zanusso's record-break total of 213 (-3) broke the previous record of 217 (+1) that was held by six different golfers. The junior from Italy capped her tournament-run with a 76 (+4), but finished strong with one-under score on the back nine that sealed a five-shot victory over teammate Anna Krekling, who finished at 218 (+2). She became the first player to post a pair of rounds in the 60's earlier in the week when she opened with a 68 (-4) and a shot a second-round 69 (-3).
Oral Roberts (892; +28) held on to finish runner-up, edging South Dakota State (893; +29) by a stroke to claim second. The Golden Eagles were led by junior Sarah Bell, who claimed Summit League Championship All-Tournament Team honors for the second time in her career (2019). She was in a three-way tie for fourth with the Pioneer duo of Alyson Bean and Clara Gestsdottir at 222 (+6).
Zanusso and Bean landed on the all-tournament team for the second consecutive season after finishing third and fourth, respectively, a year ago. Bean shot an even-par 72 during the final round to pace the Pioneers along with teammate Katarina Dracarova.
South Dakota State's Mia Seeman took third alone with a 221 (+5) total and helped the Jackrabbits to a top-three finish for the seventh consecutive tournament.
South Dakota finished fourth at 924 (+60), while North Dakota State moved into the top five to take fifth with a 929 (+65) total.
The Jackrabbits' Hester Sicking and St. Thomas' Isabelle Lynch each shot a 70 (-2) to lead the 45-player field on the final day. Those scores are tied for the sixth best single-round score in tournament history.
2022 #SummitGF Women's All-Tournament Team
Alyson Bean, Denver
Sarah Bell, Oral Roberts
Clara Gestsdottir, Denver
Anna Krekling, Denver
Mia Seeman, South Dakota State
Anna Zanusso, Denver
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