MIAC golf, softball, tennis teams headed to NCAA D-III Championships

http://miac-online.org/news/2013/5/6/WGOLF_0506130507.aspx

 

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A day after the first thrilling weekend of spring postseason tournaments concluded in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), the champions of those events learned their destinations. Monday, the NCAA announced the National Championship fields in golf, tennis and softball, and the MIAC was well-represented.

The MIAC was particularly well-represented in men's golf, with three teams from the conference included in the 41-team field for the 2013 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championship. MIAC champion Gustavus received the league's automatic bid, and both Saint John's and St. Thomas received at-large bids from Pool C. With only seven Pool C bids available, it is quite remarkable that two of them went to MIAC institutions.

MIAC women's golf champion St. Olaf also received an automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's Golf National Championships and will join the three MIAC men's teams in Destin, Fla. The MIAC also had an individual chosen, as St. Thomas golfer Doyle O'Brien was one of six individuals selected to join the national championship field. Both tournaments will take place May 14-17 at Destin's Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort with Methodist serving as the host school.

The MIAC's regular season and Softball Playoff champion received good news when the NCAA Division III Softball Tournament regions were announced Monday at 9 a.m. St. Thomas received the No. 1 seed in the Pella, Iowa, Regional, and will open the tournament Thursday at 10 a.m. against Bethany Lutheran. The Tommies - who captured their 10th-straight MIAC Playoff title Sunday - will take a 37-5 record and a 26-game winning streak into the eight-team, double-elimination regional. UST's last loss came on March 29.

The two MIAC Tennis Playoff champions also learned their first opponents in the NCAA Division III Tennis Tournaments when the field were announced Monday at 5 p.m. The men's champion, Gustavus (22-9), will receive a first-round bye, and will take on UW-Whitewater later this week in a second-round matchup. The Carleton women (15-7), who won their second-straight MIAC Playoff title Saturday, will face Grinnell in the first round later this week, with the winner advancing to face UW-Whitewater. More details were not immediately available on NCAA.com.

The MIAC did not receive any at-large bids in women's golf, softball, men's tennis or women's tennis.

For complete details, visit the NCAA's Spring Selection home page, which contains links to archived selection shows, press releases and interactive brackets. Follow all the MIAC teams on their quest for NCAA Division III National Championships on the conference's web site and scoreboard page.