JOPLIN, Mo. – Paige Hoffman was crowned the MIAA Individual Champion on Wednesday afternoon in Joplin, Missouri carding a third round 77 (+5) to finish eight over for the tournament. Hoffman beat out Nicole Rallo of Central Missouri by one stroke.
 
Hoffman started the day three shots ahead of Rallo and Rosie Klausner, but after going one under in the first three holes the lead stretched to four. Hoffman bogeyed hole four, doubled hole seven and bogeyed hole eight to come into a tie with Rallo at + 6 with nine more holes to play. Hoffman would go onto shoot a back nine 38 to round out her day tied for the lead at +8. Rallo birdied hole 14 to get back to +8 for the tournament but a bogey on 17 and a par on 18 earned Hoffman the individual title by one shot.
 
Hoffman a Sophomore from Des Moines, Iowa, is the second ever MIAA individual champion in Northwest program history, the first ever was done in 2012 by Cassie Lowell. Hoffman has now carded 21 out of 24 rounds this season in the 70's and has tallied 10 top-10 finishes in her Bearcat career, this is Hoffman's first career win.
 
Senior Lauren Wood finished tied for 35^th following a third round 84 (+12).
 
Northwest as a squad scored a third round 332 (+44) and finished eighth out of 11 total teams. Northwest for the tournament was +138.
 
Northwest's Scores
1. Paige Hoffman 73-74-77 (+8)
T35. Lauren Wood 83-87-84 (+38)
T42. Elly Speece 91-86-83 (+44)
44. Kylie Carey 91-85-89 (+49)
47. Kayla Moline 94-92-88 (+58)

Northwest's Top-10 Finishes at MIAA Championships
2011
8. Jessica Feuerbach

2012
1. Cassie Lowell

3. Steph Charteris

2013
3. Cassie Lowell

2014
9. Cassie Lowell

2015
8. Taylor Gard

2019
2. Morgan Thiele

2023
1. Paige Hoffman