After placing second or third in each of the previous four seasons, the Cardinals overcame the hump and won the program’s third MEC title. They were the only team in this year’s competition to finish under the 1,000-stroke mark, finishing with a 982, the team’s second-lowest score in a MEC Championship event in program history. Along with the conference title, the Cardinals earned many individual accolades throughout the year, with head coach Sue Vail being voted MEC Coach of the Year and junior Emily Holzopfel being named MEC Women’s Golfer of the Year.
It was Vail’s fourth Coach of the Year honor during her 17-year stint as Cardinals head coach, but her first MEC Coach of the Year honor. She won the last three championships under the team’s affiliation with the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WVIAC). Vail will compete in her fourth NCAA Regional Championships and her first since the 2015-2016 season. She also hopes to become the first Women’s Golf coach to take the team to the NCAA Championships, despite having attended the tournament once in 2016, when she assisted former Cardinal Kasey Frazier in making three consecutive appearances.
The NCAA Regional Championships in 2022 will be held in Kansas City, Missouri from May 2nd to 4th, including a practice round on May 1st.
