2023 WIAC Women's Golf Championship Preview The 28th edition of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Golf Championship (presented by Culver’s) will be held at Reedsburg Country Club in Reedsburg, Wis., Oct. 6-8. University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will aim for a seventh straight title. UW-La Crosse is the host of the championship that will feature 54 holes and commence with a shotgun start at 11 a.m. on Oct. 6, while tee times off both sets of tees will begin at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 7-8. The winning team will receive an automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Championship that will be held May 21-24, 2024, at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky. The national event will be hosted by Transylvania University (Ky.). UW-Eau Claire owns a conference-best nine team titles, while UW-Whitewater has eight, UW-Oshkosh four, and UW-Stevens Point and UW-Stout three. In last year’s championship, UW-Whitewater and UW-La Crosse were tied with 971 strokes after 54 holes. UW-Whitewater secured its eighth championship in program history with an 18-19 win after a one-hole team playoff determined the team champion. UW-Stout placed third with 1,002 strokes, UW-Eau Claire fourth with 1,023, UW-Stevens Point fifth with 1,033, UW-River Falls sixth with 1,043, UW-Platteville seventh with 1,051, and UW-Oshkosh eighth with 1,067. The top 10 finishers at this year’s championship will claim All-Conference recognition with the top five securing first team honors and places six thru 10 earning second team status. The first-place finisher will be named the WIAC Kwik Trip Player of the Year, while Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year honors will be awarded to the highest placing newcomer. A newcomer is defined as a student-athlete who used her first season of participation in women’s golf this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in women’s golf at their previous institution. The Kwik Trip Coach of the Year will also be announced. UW-Whitewater’s lineup features Ellie Johnson (74.6), Kallie Lux (76.9), Lily Sheppard (79.7), Abbie Reiser (80.4) and Kellie Shanahan (83.6). Johnson’s 74.6 stroke average is the best in the conference. She finished first at the Battle on the Border, and carded a 69 – the best 18-hole score in program history – at the Illinois Wesleyan University Fall Classic. Lux claimed WIAC Newcomer of the Year recognition for the 2021-22 campaign, and has posted first-place finishes at the Midwest Region Classic and UW-Stevens Point Mad Dawg Invitational this season. Reiser is the reigning conference Newcomer of the Year. UW-La Crosse’s lineup includes Andrea Schleeper (82.1), Nora Cerroni (81.3), Allison Balduzzi (82.0), Sophie Denure (82.6) and Grace Ellison (82.1). Balduzzi was victorious at the UW-La Crosse Fall Invitational. UW-Stout’s team features Abbey Filipiak (76.7), Sydney Grimm (79.6), Abby Terada (84.0), Hallie Tulip (86.1) and Madeline Kiley (86.7). Filipiak recorded a first-place finish at the UW-River Falls Falcon Invitational. She received WIAC Player of the Year honors for the 2021-22 season, after securing Newcomer of the Year distinction in 2020-21. UW-Platteville’s lineup consists of Josie Alm (83.6), Taylor Swalve (86.6), Madison Berg (87.3), Danielle Bruecker (86.8) and Jada Chang (90.5). UW-Eau Claire’s team includes Lilly Kaminski (86.3), Elizabeth Hermann (87.5), Bri Novak (86.9), Olivia McSorley (87.0) and Cadie Ash (89.9). UW-Oshkosh’s lineup features Ava Downie (87.4), Alyssa Dreher (89.6), Kylie Herrin (88.0), Taryn Endres (88.5) and Josie Hofer (89.2). UW-River Falls’ team consists of Sydney Burgess (87.6), Grace Gabriel (87.6), Kate Garbow (91.2), Lauren Skov (89.9) and Faith Cour (92.4). UW-Stevens Point’s lineup includes Kate Downie (84.0), Rae Barwick (92.0), Jenny Marshall (89.8), Andrea Tietz (91.0) and Bree Downie (92.6). Additionally, 26 golfers will compete as individuals to round out the 66-player field. *Note: Stroke averages do not include the first round (9 holes) of the UW-Stevens Point Mad Dawg Invitational. # # # # #