The Valparaiso University women’s golf team took another step in the right direction on the second day of competition in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan. on Monday. Four of the team’s five individuals improved or matched their scores from Round 1 to Round 2, helping the Crusaders establish an 18-hole season low for the second straight day.

How It Happened

• Katie Willenbrink (Mishawaka, Ind. / Penn) led a balanced group of Crusaders with a 78 in the second round. She stands at 161 through 36 holes, a score that puts her in 39^th overall.
• Kayla Krueger (Spring Lake, Mich. / Spring Lake) still owns the best total score on the team as she followed her career-low 75 with an 80 on Monday. Her total score of 155 is tied for 20^th.
•  Kylie Shoemake (Schererville, Ind. / Lake Central) carded a 79 for the second straight day, putting her at t-29 (158).
• Madison McCreary (Batesville, Ind. / Batesville) cut six strokes off her Round 1 score by posting a 79 on Monday. Tiffany Curtis (Crown Point, Ind. / Crown Point) bested her opening-round score by five strokes, dropping to an 80 in the second round. 
• Valpo sits in ninth in the team standings (638) as a first-year member of the conference. The Crusaders own a 13-stroke lead on Evansville entering the final 18 holes.

Inside the Rounds

• The 18-hole team score of 316 was Valpo’s best mark of the season. This marked the second consecutive day the Crusaders achieved a season best.
• This was Valpo’s best round as a team since a 306 to open the Fort Wayne Classic on April 3, 2017.
• Willenbrink’s 78 marked her best round of the season. Shoemake matched her season low for the second consecutive day.
• Valpo’s 638 is its best score through two rounds of a conference championship since 2014, when Valpo was also at 638 heading into the final day. That year, that score was good enough to rank third through 36 holes at the Horizon League Championship.

Thoughts from Head Coach Jon Haas

“We put together a solid team effort today. A 316 is another improvement for us. It’s fantastic to come here and be able to compete with some really good programs.”

“You can’t ask for a more balanced attack than we had today. Any time your worst score is an 80, you know you’ve had a great day. We are really excited about the final round tomorrow.”

Up Next

The MVC Championship will conclude on Tuesday with the third round of the event at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Newton, Kan. Live scoring is available courtesy of GolfStat.