• 2021 OVC Championship Results (PDF) | Complete 2020-21 OVC Women's Golf Award Winners (PDF) | Awards Photo Gallery | Championship Central
OWENS CROSS ROADS, Ala. – Jacksonville State capped a start-to-finish lead on Tuesday to capture the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Women’s Golf Championship at The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Hampton Cove.
The Gamecocks led by nine shots after day one, 14 after day two and extended that to a final margin of 24 after Tuesday’s round. The 24-shot victory was the fourth-largest in OVC Championship history and most since Murray State won by a record 39 shots in 2003.
It marks the sixth overall championship for Jacksonville State and first since 2012. JSU has also won titles in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2012.
JSU finished with a three-round total of 861 (-3) which was the best team total in OVC history, breaking the mark set by Murray State in 2019. Eastern Kentucky (+21) finished second and was followed by Belmont (+38), Murray State (+43), Morehead State (+58), Austin Peay (+60), Tennessee Tech (+71) and Eastern Illinois (+153).
With the victory, Jacksonville State earned the OVC's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship. The 2021 field will be announced on Wednesday, April 28 on the Golf Channel at 1 p.m. CT. The NCAA Regionals will be held May 10-12 and take place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Columbus, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky and Stanford, California. Following the Regionals the National Championship will be held May 21-26 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Jacksonville State freshman
Berta Sanchez tied the OVC Championship record with a final round 66 (-6) on Tuesday to claim the medalist crown. She finished the event with rounds of 72-71-66 to finish 209 (-7), which was three shots ahead of second place. Sanchez is the fifth JSU golfer to win medalist honors and first since Valentina Giraldo in 2018.
After the final round the coaches voted Sanchez both the OVC Player and Freshman of the Year. She had entered the week ranked second in the OVC in stroke average (74.9) and had four top five finishes during the regular season. She is the seventh JSU player to earn each honor.
Jacksonville State’s
James Hobbs was voted the OVC Coach of the Year. It marked the fourth time he earned the award in his career (2006, 2007 and 2008 being the others).
The All-Tournament Team, which is comprised of the top five finishers, included Sanchez and teammates
Ana Perez Altuna and
Claire Vermette, Eastern Kentucky’s
Diana McDonald and
Ragga Kristinsdottir and Belmont’s
Katelyn Dunstan.
For the week the course played between 6,029 and 6,076 yards and was a par 72.
The OVC men's golf championship is next on the schedule and will take beginning Sunday morning at The Shoals on the Fighting Joe Course.
OVC All-Tournament Team
Berta Sanchez, Jacksonville State (MVP)
Ana Perez Altuna, Jacksonville State
Diana McDonald, Eastern Kentucky
Ragga Kristinsdottir, Eastern Kentucky
Katelyn Dunstan, Belmont
Claire Vermette, Jacksonville State
Bobby Nichols OVC Coach of the Year: James Hobbs, Jacksonville State
OVC Player of the Year: Berta Sanchez, Jacksonville State
OVC Freshman of the Year: Berta Sanchez, Jacksonville State