Yellowjackets Finish Ninth at NCAA Regional; Nordeen Tied for 13th

Final Statistics

LAKE CITY, Minn. – The Montana State Billings women’s golf team finished the NCAA Central Regional in ninth place with a 1,012 team score after firing a 339 Tuesday.  Augustana College (SD) won the regional with a 972 score, edging Western New Mexico by seven strokes on par 72, 6,135-yard The Jewell Golf Course. 

“Anytime you can get to post season the overall year is a great success,” head coach Shawn O’Brien said.  “Everyone played to their best ability today and never gave up and that is all you can ask for.  We have a great group of players coming back next year, and we will miss Amy Nordeen.  She is a great person and a great golfer.”

Host Minnesota State Mankato finished third in the nine-team field with a 984 score as those three teams advance the NCAA Championships, May 12-15 at Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona.  Upper Iowa’s valiant effort to get in the top three came up just five strokes short (989) as it shot the tournament-low round of 320 Tuesday and finished fourth.

Concordia-St. Paul finished fifth with a 991 score, followed by Winona State (997), Southwest Minnesota was seventh (1002), Mesa State finished eighth (1005) and the Jackets were ninth.

Individually, Upper Iowa’s Jill Preeshl earned medalist honors as she carded a 17-over 233 for the tournament and shot a tournament-low 74 Tuesday as she started the day tied for fifth.  Kassie Ellsworth of Minnesota State finished second with a 236 score, followed by a tie for third between Faylyn Beyale of Western New Mexico and Kelly Lauer of Augustana with a 237 score. Sara Wissing of Nebraska-Kearney finished fifth with a 238 score after starting the day in second. 

Wissing was one of four players who received a bid to the regional as an individual.  The other three were: Laura Pocs (Regis University, 252, T-27th); Lee Zutz (St. Cloud, 253, T-29th); Chelsey Ouren (Minnesota State Moorhead, 259, T-36th).   

MSUB senior Amy Nordeen finished in a four-way tie 13th with a 245 score (78 – 82 – 85) after firing an 85 Tuesday.  Sophomore Kalli Stanhope also finished tied for 13th (80 – 84 – 81) with an 81 in the final round.

The top three finishers among teams not qualifying also earn a trip to the NCAA Championships.  Preeshl, Wissing and Preeshl’s teammate, McKenzie Holthaus, all advance.  Stanhope advanced to last year’s NCAA Championship as an individual where she finished tied for 70th at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio.

Erin Heaney finished the tournament with an 86 and a 260 score which was good for a tie for 38th as she shot rounds of 87-87-86.  Libby Rutz finished 42nd after carding an 87 in the final round to go along with a 97 and an 80 for a 264 score.  Liz Tikriti finished 46th after an 88 Tuesday and a 274 score. 

"This was an emotional trip for me," Nordeen said. "I didn't know how much this team meant to me until I was coming up to the 18th green for the last time. We all hugged liked like they were sisters I never had. It was a moment I definitely will never forget."