SH
Shannon Holden
  • Political Science/International Relations
  • Class of 2017
  • Simi Valley, CA

Shannon Holden Leads Carleton Women's Golf to MIAC Championship Title

2014 Nov 13

It was a day for the record books, and in the end the No. 4-ranked Carleton College women's golf team had its first MIAC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. The MIAC Championships were held at Bunker Hills Golf Club, Oct. 4-6. Shannon Holden, a sophomore from Simi Valley, Calif., helped lead the Knights to their fifth straight victory in the 2014-2015 season. Carleton is a member of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and NCAA Division III.

The Knights, who entered Monday's final round with a seven-shot lead, fired a school- and MIAC-record 299 final round score in setting a new MIAC Championships 54-hole record of 935, winning by a 21-shot margin. The Knights are believed to be the first MIAC women's squad to ever break the 300 barrier.

"It was truly an amazing performance in the most pressure-packed round of the season," Carleton head coach Eric Sieger said. "Our goal was to make those final nine holes boring by extending our lead, and we did just that."

Shannon Holden (So./Simi Valley, Calif./Royal High School) finished tied for 2nd after a flawless final-round of even par 72, tying the Carleton single-round record. She concluded the championship with a three-day total of 232, one stroke off of first. After her MIAC individual title the previous year, Holden again earned a spot on the all-tournament team and will automatically earn All-MIAC honors when they are formally announced in the spring.

"The ladies have worked very hard for this honor, both on the course and with our strength coach, Jim Jarvis, in the weight room," Sieger said. "We played beautifully last spring and were able to take it to another level this fall. It was very humbling to coach this group of talented players this fall, and we're excited to see what we can do at nationals in May."

The Knights earn the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, scheduled for May 12-15 at Mission Inn Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.

Founded in 1866, Carleton College is a national top 10, private liberal arts college in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota, 45 miles south of Minneapolis/Saint Paul. Best known for its academic excellence and warm, welcoming campus community, Carleton offers 37 majors and 15 concentrations in the arts, humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.

For more information about Carleton Athletics, visit www.carleton.edu/athletics.