LINCOLN, Neb. -- Denver pulled away from the pack to secure its fifth straight team title at the 2023 Summit League Women's Golf Championship. The Pioneers were led by senior Anna Catherine Krekling, who broke numerous records en route to earning Championship MVP honors at the Wilderness Ridge Country Club.
Krekling fired a course and tournament single-round scoring record of 64 (-7) to win medalist honors by nine strokes. She finished with a tournament 54-hole scoring total of 204 (-9) to coast to a victory over a trio of golfers that tied for runner-up honors with even-par totals of 213.
Among that trio was DU senior Anna Zanusso, who had two of her tournament records set last year when she garnered Championship MVP honors at the 2022 broken by her classmate. Zanusso closed with a 66 (-5), which was a course record for just over 20 minutes before Krekling parred No. 18 for the best round of her career to better that score by two strokes.
Krekling and Zanusso helped DU break its own 54-hole tournament scoring mark with an 852 (E). That total was 19 strokes better than the Pioneers record-breaking effort in 2022 at Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan.
South Dakota's Danica Badura carded a final-round 70 (-1) to pace the Coyotes to a runner-up finish in the team standings with an 868 (+16), which established a new 54-hole team scoring total for the program. Badura finished with Zanusso at even-par for the tournament as they were joined by South Dakota State senior Alex Kandolin. The even-par totals were career bests for both Badura and Kandolin.
Krekling, Badura, Zanusso and Kandolin were joined on the all-tournament team by DU sophomore Clara Gestsdottir and NDSU junior Catherine Monty, who tied for fifth with 54-hole totals of 217 (+4). Zanusso earned a spot on the all-tournament team for the third straight year, while Gestsdottir and Krekling were repeat honorees from 2022.
Monty helped the Bison to a third-place finish in the team standings as NDSU finished at 872 (+20). Kandolin's efforts helped SDSU take fourth (885; +33).
Coyote freshman Catie Nekola posted a career-best 68 (-3) to give her back-to-back rounds under par as she finished tied for seventh with Oral Roberts' top finisher Morgan Palermo. Those two finished with totals of 218 (+5). The Golden Eagles rounded out the top five in the team standings with an 890 (+38) total as they finished with their best round of the tournament, posting a 289 (+5).
The Pioneers will found out their NCAA Regional destination Wednesday when the Selection Show airs live at 12 p.m. CT/11 a.m. MT on the Golf Channel with a stream available online at www.GolfChannel.com.
All-Tournament Team
Catherine Monty, North Dakota State
Clara Gestsdottir, Denver
Danice Badura, South Dakota
Alex Kandolin, South Dakota State
Anna Zanusso, Denver
Anna Krekling, Denver
Championship MVP
Anna Krekling, Denver
Scholar of the Championship presented by JLG Architects
Carrie Carpenter, North Dakota
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