LAWRENCE – Kansas Wesleyan is the 2021-22 KCAC Women’s Golf Conference Champion.

The Coyotes claimed their second consecutive KCAC Championship on Wednesday at The Jayhawk Club, using strong second and third round performances to pull away for the victory.

KWU also swept both KCAC events this season, also winning the KCAC Match Play Championship for a second straight season in the fall.

After trailing by four shots after Monday’s first round with a score of 355, the Coyotes would shoot back-to-back tournament low rounds, a 328 on Tuesday and a 326 on Wednesday to pull away for the 22-shot win over the rest of the field.

KWU led by 15 shots after the second round.

The Coyotes finished with a final team score of 1009 for the Championship, which was a different format that in years past and in a different location for the first time since women’s golf became a conference championship sport in 2014.

The tournament was held as a single site, three-round championship this year instead of the two site, four round format used previously, and the tournament was held outside of Buffalo Dunes for the first time since its inception, at The Jayhawk Club in Lawrence.

All five scoring players for the Coyotes finished inside the Top 17 in the final standings, led by Kristen Sayyalinh (JR/Rockford, Ill.) finishing tied for second place with a score of 248 (89-81-78) along with Valdisa Andov of Tabor. Hannah Hart (SO/Ventura, Calif.) finished sixth with a score of 252 (90-81-81), Abby Donovan (FR/Concordia, Kan.) finished seventh with a 253 (86-82-85), Corey Mein (JR/Liberal, Kan.) finished 16th with a 265 (90-84-91) and Aidan Richmond (SO/Keller, Texas) tied for 17th with a 268 (94-92-82).

Thalia Ramirez (SO/Leawood, Kan.) played as an individual in the tournament, finishing 28th with a score of 280 (93-95-92).

Bethany was the runner-up in the tournament finishing with a score of 1031, Oklahoma Wesleyan was third just a shot back at 1032. York was fourth with 1082, Sterling was fifth with 1084, Friends was sixth with 1099, Ottawa was seventh with 1104, and Tabor was eighth with a score of 1314.

Bethany’s Ida Lihufvudh was the individual champion with a score of 246.

The KCAC also announced its Women’s Golf All-KCAC teams. The conference changed the format of the All-KCAC selections this year to a coach-selected team, instead of using the results from the KCAC Championship to name the All-KCAC teams.

Hannah Hart and Corey Mein were selected by conference coaches to the All-KCAC first-team, and Kristen Sayyalinh was named to the second-team.

Abby Donovan was named the KCAC Freshman of the Year at the conclusion of the conference tournament.

The Coyotes will represent the Kansas Conference in the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championships on May 24-27 at Lincoln Park West in Oklahoma City.