Monday, April 25, 2016

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the first time since 2011, the GNAC will be represented in the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf West Super Regional by Western Washington.

The Vikings will travel to Stockton, Calif., as the No. 8 seed at the 54-hole regional championship at Brookside Country Club on May 2-4. Despite finishing in second place at the GNAC Championships, the Vikings excelled this season against conference and West Region opponents with an average round score of 306.6. They placed in the top-five in seven of nine tournaments, which included three second place finishes.

Saint Martin’s senior Jennifer Liedes will compete as the No. 1 individual in the region after placing second at the GNAC Championships and ranking second in the conference with an average round score of 76.6. In nine tournaments, Liedes was the medalist twice and finished in the top-five four times. She won back-to-back tournaments in the fall, winning the Western Washington Invitational and the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate. She is competing in the regional tournament for the first time.

Western Washington is led by sophomore Jenn Paul, who leads the GNAC with an average round score of 75.2. In eight events this season, Paul has finished in the top-10 seven times, including one medalist performance. She took first place at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout to start the spring at 1-under-par 143, which included her lowest round of the season at 69.

Along with Paul, the Vikings boast four golfers in the top-six average round score in the GNAC and five in the top-eight. Senior Kristen Hansen averages a 78.1 score and is the only current GNAC women’s golfer with regional experience as she competed as an individual in 2014. Stephanie Sewell (77.9), Audrey Orem (78.1) and Brooke Branigan (78.4) will likely round out the five competitors for Western Washington.

The 2016 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships will be held May 18-21, at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, Colorado. The championships will be part of the 2016 NCAA Division II Championships Festival. Metropolitan State University of Denver and the Denver Sports Commission will serve as the hosts.

NCAA WEST REGION RANKINGS – 1. Tarleton St.; 2. Dallas Baptist; 3. St. Mary's (TX); 4. California Baptist; 5 Sonoma St.; 6. Academy of Art; 7. Point Loma Nazarene; 8. Western Washington; 9. West Texas A&M; 10. Chico State.; 11. St. Edward's; 12. Oklahoma Christian.

NCAA WEST REGION INDIVIDUAL – 1. Jennifer Liedes, Saint Martin’s; 2. Linnea Karlsson, Cal State Monterey Bay; 3. Sierra Campbell, Midwestern State; 4. Imkeleen Meyer, Newman; 5. Cha Cha Willhoite, MSU Denver; 6. Allie Johnston, MSU Denver.