For the first time since 2022 and the second time since joining the MIAA, the UNK golf team is conference champions.
The Lopers were tied for first after the opening round of the three-day tournament, and after being down by two strokes heading into the final 18 holes, shot a 298 to secure the win.
“It just goes to show how well we work together as a team, how we are able to connect with one another and hype each other up and then also give each other the tools that we need to go out there and respond correctly on the course and play well,” said Liz Lyons, a UNK golfer.
Lyons finished 13-over par (76-73-74–223) to place second, one stroke behind Jessica Parker of Northeastern State. Calie Dockter and Emmie Rhude ended up tied for ninth at 19-over par, while Claire Berquist and Pella Broms tied for 15th.
“Conditions were pretty tough, so it was easy to kind of just knee-jerk react and kind of panic a little bit,” Rodehorst said. “If you made a bogey where it was, ‘Hey, like you’re going to make bogeys out here. You’re going to hit a good shot that doesn’t work out.’ So really, I think we had the best attitude, too.”
The team continued to get better with each round and finished with the third-best 54-hole score in program history (306-303-298–907). Following the Lopers in the top five were Washburn (909), Rogers State (923), Central Missouri (929) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (932).
“(The course) definitely played pretty challenging,” Lyons said. “I think something that we talked about a lot as a team, but just focusing on the shot that was right in front of us and focusing on how we respond to different things that happen on such a tough course, because you really can’t control everything that happens out there.”
The tournament coincided with the release of the All-MIAA selections being named on Monday, and for Lyons, it added another driving factor to her week.
“I got honorable mention, which is what I got last year,” Lyons said. “So I was definitely hoping to be a little bit higher this year. It kind of was like, ‘Dang, like I am where I was last year.’”
The win marks the fourth straight team title for UNK this season, and the Lopers will march into the NCAA Central Regionals in St. Joseph, Missouri, on May 4-6 with added confidence.
“Hopefully, going into regionals, we can just still have the same attitude and know that we are very good,” Lyons said. “We are capable of being at the top, and we can compete in really strong fields and still do really well.”
