The Kent State women’s golf team claimed victory at the Mid-American Conference Championships Tuesday, continuing a historic streak. 

This marked the 26th consecutive MAC Championship win for the Flashes, as they remain the only team to ever hoist the trophy since the sport was introduced by the conference in 1999. 

The Flashes concluded the tournament at nine over par, 28 strokes ahead of runner-up Bowling Green, who posted a final score of 37 over par. 

“It’s our expectation and our goal to win the MAC title each season, but it’s not a given,” coach Casey VanDamme said. “You have to earn it each year, so I’m happy that we performed well and when it mattered. It feels great.”

Round one

The Flashes concluded the first round of the tournament Sunday on top of the leaderboard at one over par (289), holding a seven-stroke lead over second-place Bowling Green.

Junior Leon Takagi led the Flashes, recording a one under par (71) to sit tied for second place.

Also shooting par or better was freshman Gracie Larsen, who recorded an even-par 72 through her first 18 holes to sit tied for fifth place ahead of round two. 

Rounding out Kent State’s lineup were freshmen Isabella Goyette and Aryn Matthews and sophomore Veronika Kedronova. All three posted a one-over-par 73 to finish the opening round tied for ninth place.

Round two

The second round of competition continued on Monday, when the Flashes extended their lead.

The team shot eight over par (296), improving to a 22-shot lead over second place. 

All five Kent State golfers found themselves sitting in the top seven heading into the final round.

Larsen led the way with an even-par (72), boosting her position to a tie for first place. 

Matthews and Goyette both posted a two-over-par 74 to tie for third at three over par.

After 36 holes, Kedronova and Takagi both sat tied for seventh place at five over par, following a four over par (76) and a six over par (78), respectively. 

Round three

Goyette, Matthews and Larsen led the Flashes through the final round, all tying for second place overall. 

The trio finished at three over par, just one stroke behind the individual champion. Goyette and Matthews both shot even-par (72) in round three while Larsen recorded a three-over-par (75). 

Kedronova posted KSU’s best round of the day at one under par (71) to finish the tournament at four over par and a tied sixth-place finish. 

Takagi completed Kent State’s lineup with a one-over-par (73) final round to secure a tie for eighth place at six over par. 

“The ladies did really well,” VanDamme said. “They had a balanced team finish. Everybody was within three shots of each other and three of our freshmen took second place. Overall, it was just a great performance.”

After an even-par (288) final round, the Flashes concluded their dominant performance at nine over par overall, clinching the team’s 26th consecutive MAC Championship by 28 strokes. 

VanDamme said everyone on the team fought through different adversities throughout the tournament, but they battled through to secure another championship.

“All of the ladies had their moments of greatness and some moments that weren’t great, but they fought through each shot, and we’re proud of them for that,” VanDamme said. “Our freshmen did great in their first MAC Championship, but everyone finished in the top eight, showing they all helped us and they all stood out.”

With all of their guaranteed tournaments behind them, VanDamme said this season provided many opportunities for learning that they plan to keep building on. 

“We were constantly learning this season, playing a lot of new courses and with new players,” VanDamme said. “There was a lot of valuable experience gained, so I’m really excited for the future of the program and for the future of these young players.”

Looking ahead

The Flashes successful performances this season secured them a spot at the NCAA Regionals tournament in Columbus on May 5. 

VanDamme said the team is looking to keep the competition going, hopefully placing high enough at the regional tournament to claim a spot at the NCAA Championship.

“The top five teams get into the national championship,” VanDamme said. “Right now, we’re the nine seed, but we want to be in the top five. We’re ready to play, and we’re excited. We got selected to go to a course we know well, so we’re just excited to get down there and get competing.”

Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].