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Ohio State Golf
Ohio State owns the most team titles in the conference's 25-year history of women's golf with 11 trophies to its credit. But the feat that may take at least 25 more years to break is the Buckeyes' string of four straight Big Ten Championship victories. No other team has compiled more than two-consecutive trophy performances (Indiana), and the Buckeyes did so in dominating fashion. In 2002, the team put together the second lowest 72-hole team score in championships history with an 1,194. The 2004 squad challenged that record but earned the fourth-lowest team total with a tally of 1,199. Also during that season, senior Allison Hanna was named NGCA first-team All-American, Big Ten Athlete of the Year and Ohio State's Female Athlete of the Year. She and teammate Kristen White garnered first team All-Big Ten honors and teammate Lindsay Knowlton was named to the second team. The Buckeyes enjoyed perhaps their best season in school history in 2003. After claiming its second consecutive Big Ten championship, the squad earned fourth at the NCAA championships - the program's best-ever finish. In addition, Hanna shot a score of 294 to tie Indiana's Karen Dennison for Big Ten medalist honors while she, along with White and Knowlton, was dubbed first-team All-Big Ten. White also collected the conference's Athlete of the Year as well as All-America honors - marking the first time in school history Ohio State could boast two All-Americans in her and Hanna. During the four-year span, Ohio State also claimed two individual titles in addition to Hanna's victory. Mollie Frankhauser repeated as Big Ten champion after claiming the crown in 2001 and White earned her own with a title performance in 2005. All three golfers were also honored as Big Ten Athlete of the Year during their respective winning seasons. White, a former conference Freshman of the Year and four-time Academic All-American, garnered the league's top honor twice in 2003 and 2005. The Buckeyes' title streak was piloted by head coach Therese Hession, a six-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, whose peers distinguished her with the honor in three times during that period. A former LPGA Tour professional, Hession coached 24 Academic All-Big Ten selections - more than any other team during that era - including her four All-Big Ten first-team selections and Athlete of the Year award winners.
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