Hershey, Pa. (April 22, 2018) - Junior Emily Gilbert earned her second consecutive MAC Player of the Year honors and Alvernia University captured its second ever MAC Women's Golf Championship on Sunday at Hershey Country Club East.

In addition to the Player of the Year and team honors, senior Cayla McCarty earned runner-up and First-Team All-Conference honors, and Tom O'Connell was named MAC Coach of the Year.

Alvernia finished the two-day tournament with a team total of 737 (+169), 16 strokes better than team runner-up Eastern University. The Golden Wolves were paced by Gilbert, who fired a low-round 85 on the day for a two-day total of 164 (+22). The junior picked up her second consecutive MAC Player of the Year honors and picked up First Team All-Conference Honors.

With a a 12 stroke lead heading into the final round of the 2018 MAC Women's Golf Championship, the Golden Wolves knew they had only one job to do. "We had to keep a level head," said senior Cayla McCarty. "It was a matter of keeping a level head and focusing on your game rather than focusing on the Championship."

The Golden Wolves did just that on their way to earning their second ever team title.

Gilbert paced Alvernia with a round of 85. Her day started off on the difficult par 5 1st, where only four players in the field of 53 shot par or better. Gilbert posted a double bogey on the hole, but settled in for par on the par 3 2nd. She then went double-bogey-bogey before converting a par on the par 5 5th and finishing her front nine out with a birdie on the par 4 9th. Gilbert went on to post three pars on the back nine and a birdie on the par 4 17th.

Coming down the 18th fairway, Gilbert knew she was about to earn her second consecutive Player of the Year honors, and that her team was about to head to the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championship. "I knew exactly where I stood with [Summer Frantz of Eastern and Morgan Wirtz of Stevenson,]" noted Gilbert "Coach [O'Connell] updated me as we got to 18 that we were winning by 11. Coming in knowing that I played well and the team was more than likely going to nationals was pretty neat."

Gilbert finished eight strokes ahead of the Championship runner-up, teammate Cayla McCarty.

McCarty posted a two-day total of 172 to earn First Team All-Conference honors. McCarty, like Gilbert, kept the damage to a minimum on the difficult par 5 1st hole, where she posted a double bogey. McCarty posted a par on the par 4 9th and went bogey-double-bogey-bogey on the first four holes of the back nine. McCarty then went on an impressive run of four pars over the final five holes, including a par on the 18th, to close out her final MAC tournament.

"To have Cayla shoot 83, 89 - she shot below our target scores for her. That was a big difference" noted 2018 MAC Coach of the Year, Tom O'Connell of McCarty's performance. "She's a senior. This is her last [conference] tournament. This was a big moment for her, probably the biggest one in her career."

Finishing in third for the Golden Wolves and t-14th overall was Briana Hocker. The freshman posted a two-total of 195 in her first MAC Championship. Hocker posted three pars on her round and went 51, 47 on the front and back nine.

Junior Jordan Kissner posted the fourth score for the Golden Wolves. She went 103,103 for a two-day total of 206 and t-23rd overall. Kissner's round was highlighted by a par on the par 4 9th, which she also pared on the first day of the Championship.

Every member of the team did their part on Alvernia's way to the team title. "I told the girls in the fall that we were going to need to have two players be on First Team All-Conference if we were going to win the Championship. And the other ones we gave them some target scores to go for" said O'Connell of the team's preparation.

While Alvernia won the MAC Women's Championship back in 2012, this will be the first time Alvernia will head to the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Wolves have a bit over two weeks to prepare for the NCAA DIII Women's Golf Tournament, which will be from May 8-11 at the Mission Hills Resort Golf Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.

Preparation for the next stage starts with one final invitational for the Golden Wolves. Alvernia hosts its home invite on Tuesday at LedgeRock.

But, right now, Gilbert and the team are going to enjoy the moment. "I am super stoked. This is the one goal I wanted to achieve in my college career and now we did it," said an ecstatic Gilbert.  
 

Alvernia University	362	375	737	+169	1st
Emily Gilbert	79	85	164	+22	1st
Cayla McCarty	83	89	172	+30	2nd
Briana Hocker	97	98	195	+53	t-14th
Jordan Kissner	103	103	206	+64	t-23rd