KANSAS CITY - - The Truman golf teams swept the MIAA's Athlete of the Week honors on Thursday afternoon, as seniors Chris Kovach and Jennifer Lawson were selected as the conference's top golfers for their performances last weekend.
Kovach (St. Louis, Mo., Oakville) posted his sixth top-20 finish of the season, coming in tied for 16th in a predominantly Division I field at the Western Illinois University Invitational on Monday and Tuesday in Macomb, Illinois. Kovach shot a first-round 77 before backing it up with a 74 in the second-round of the weather-shortened event.
The 74 for Kovach in round two was the eighth-lowest round of the day among the 90 golfers, which represented 11 Division I programs, two nationally-ranked NAIA squads, and two other schools in addition to Truman. It is the first time Kovach has been named MIAA player of the week in his career.
Lawson (Mahomet, Ill., Mahomet-Seymour) competed as a medalist at the Missouri Western State University Invitational on Sunday and Monday in St. Joseph, Mo., and posted a third-place finish to top all other MIAA competition in the field. She started the tournament with a first-round 81, good for fifth, before firing a 78 on day two to jump to third for the event.
She now has six top-five finishes on the season, including both events this spring. Lawson has now won the MIAA women's golfer of the week award in back-to-back weeks, also marking the third time she has won the award in her career.
The Bulldog men will take the next weekend off before heading to Warrensburg, Mo., for the UCM Invitational on April 11-12, while the Truman women travel to Springfield, Mo., this Saturday and Sunday for the Drury (Mo.) University Invitational at Rivercut Golf Club.
