Missouri State has been picked to win the 2011 State Farm MVC Women's Golf Championship, according to a pre-championship poll of league coaches. The Bears, who last won an MVC women's golf title in 2001, will be looking to unseat three-time defending champion Illinois State on its home course.

The 54-hole tournament will be played at Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill., on April 22-23.  The team champion advances to the NCAA Regionals.  The 10 teams will have practice rounds Thursday, and the tournament begins Friday at 8:30 a.m.  The teams will play 36 holes on Friday, with the tournament ending with 18 holes Saturday.  Fans are invited to attend free of charge. 

Last year, Illinois State ran off with a 14-stroke victory to become just the second team in league history to win three-straight women's golf crowns (Tulsa, 1994-95-96 is the other.)  The 14-stroke margin was the largest for any team in five years.  The 54-hole, 10-team tournament was contested on the par-72, 6,085-yard Rolling Hills Country Club in Newburgh, Ind. Drake's Olivia Lansing was medalist.

Missouri State received nine of 10 first-place votes and 99 total points to edge Wichita State in the voting.  The Shockers received the remaining first-place tally and 88 total points.  Illinois State was fourth with 77 points, just ahead of I-74 rival Bradley's 74 points.

Southern Illinois (60) and UNI (51) were close in total points for the fifth and sixth spots in the poll, while Drake (37) Indiana State (30), Creighton (19) and Evansville (14) rounded out the voting.

Bradley's Breanne Neufeld led the MVC in stroke average during the regular season, clocking in at 75.70 through 27 rounds, with one medalist honor.  Teammate Kelly Amundrud is next best in the league stroke-average rankings, with a 75.78 and two medalist trophies.  A balanced MSU club has three golfers in the Top 7, incuding Catherine Dolan (75.69), Kelsey Welber (76.17) and Rikke Falsner (77.19).  Wichita State's trio of Adin Stromgren (76.60), Lauren Hassell (76.60) and Gretchen Huhnerkoch (77.91) represent the Schokers in the league's Top 10.

Missouri State enters the tournament as the league's top-rated team in the GolfStat team head-to-head team ratings, and the Bears are rated No. 81 nationally.  Wichita State is second in the ratings.  UNI has the most team titles of any league school, with three, while the Shockers are tied with Bradley for the second-most team championships this year, as both have won two tournaments in 2010-11.