Review: Women's Golf, full of veteran players, posts another successful season on the course
By: Tim Glon
ADA — The Ohio Northern women's golf team had another outstanding season in 2010-11.
The Polar Bears posted a 59-21-1 overall record and finished third of nine teams at the 2011 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament under first-year head coach Jess Viertlboeck.
It was the fifth consecutive second place finish and the fourth straight top-3 finish.
Northern also broke the school single-season team scoring record for the fourth consecutive year. In 2010-11, Northern averaged 345.0 strokes per round, just edging the previous record of 345.0 in 2009-10, the average of 345.2 in 2008-09 and the mark of 350.18 in 2007-08.
The Polar Bears won the team title at Heidelberg Fall Invitational and the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational.
ONU also posted runner-up finishes three other tournaments and were third on two more occasions.
Northern was fourth at the Wittenberg Invitational with a 648, which was the lowest 36-hole score in school history.
The Polar Bears carded a 36-hole score of 681 to win the Heidelberg Fall Invitational, which was the fifth-lowest 36-hole total in school annals.
Ohio Northern started the campaign strong with a 28-9 record in four events in the Fall season.
In their seven spring events, ONU would win once, finish second twice and third once to post a 31-12-1 spring season record.
Northern finished in third place at the 2011 OAC Tournament with 685 strokes, the same total as in 2010 and 21 shots better than in 2009.
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For her efforts throughout the season, senior Ashley Johnson was named First Team All-OAC kudos for the third consecutive season and is now a four-time All-OAC honoree.
Johnson's 83.00 average for 20 rounds is the third-lowest single-season mark in ONU history.
She wrapped up her career with an 85.11 average in a school-record 72 rounds. Her 85.11 career average is the second -lowest in school history and she owns three of the top six best single-season averages in program history.
Junior Emily Gedert was also a 1st Team All-OAC honoree, while freshman Lizzy Merk earned 2nd Team All-OAC kudos.
Gedert was second on the team in scoring with an 84.79 average for 19 rounds, which is the fifth-lowest single-season total in ONU history.
She made her first appearance on the First Team and is now a three-time All-Conference honoree after earning Second Team accolades in both her freshman and sophomore years.
In her three seasons at ONU, Gedert ranks third all-time with an 85.74 career scoring average for 57 rounds
Merk was third on the team with an ONU freshman record 86.18 average for 17 rounds, which is the eighth-lowest average in ONU history.
Johnson won Medalist honors at the Heidelberg Fall Invitational and the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational and Gedert was runner-up at the 2011 OAC Championships.
Senior Mindy Russell fourth on the team in scoring with a 90.9 average, senior Lauren Miller was fifth with an 85.5 average, seniorEllen Hazelet was sixth at 99.3 and sophomore Jenna Steveley was seventh at 106.6.
Johnson and Miller also earned Academic All-OAC honors.