RAPID CITY, S.D.—Saving their best team score for the final round of the NAIA Women’s Golf National Championships, Concordia moved up another two spots in the team standings to finish fifth overall for the tournament. The fifth place finish represents the best finish in school history for women’s golf. 

 

After opening in ninth place in the first round of competition on Tuesday, Concordia (320-319-319-315—1,273) moved up at least one spot in the team standings each day, the only team of the tournament to accomplish the feat. The Cavaliers moved to eighth after the second round and seventh after the third round before leapfrogging a pair of teams to fifth with a 121-over 1,273 for the 72-hole tournament.

 

University of British Columbia (301-311-311-301—1,224) pulled away from Oklahoma City University (308-302-314-307-1,231) to secure the team title by seven strokes. California Baptist (313-312-309-319—1253) and Embry-Riddle (310-320-319-309—1,258) finished in third and fourth to join the Cavaliers in the top five. 

 

After Concordia, Lindsey Wilson (322-316-318-322—1,278) finished five strokes back in sixth place but held off South Carolina-Beaufort (318-317-324-320—1,279) and Lubbock Christian (317-311-324-328—1,280) as the three teams finished within two strokes of each other.

 

Led by a 5-over  77 from sophomore Madeline Jarrett, four of the five CU competitors moved up the individual leaderboard on Friday as the Cavaliers posted a 27-over 315 as a team for its best tour around the course in four chances. Fellow sophomores Sara Taylor and Holly Speer joined Jarrett in posting sub-80 rounds, shooting 78 and 79, respectively. Seniors Lindsay Aho and Kim Lindow rounded out the team scoring with each carding an 81. 

 

Overall for the tournament, Aho (76-85-75-81—317) and Taylor (83-77-78-79—317) led the way after finishing along with four others in a tie for 27th place. Jarrett’s (80-81-86-77—324) best round of the tournament moved her up nine spots into a tie for 46th while Speer (89-77-82-78—326) also improved nine spots to secure a tie for 50th place. Lindow (81-84-84-81—330) ended the tournament tied for 58th for a six-spot improvement on the final day.

 

Nathalie Silva (74-76-75-76—301), competing for Cal Baptist, captured medalist honors by a 2-stroke margin over UBC’s Kylie Barros (78-77-75-73—303). Barros logged lower scores in each round after opening with a 6-over 78 to move ahead of third-place finisher Laura Jones (75-74-77-77—304) of Oklahoma City. Paige Martin (79-75-78-73—305), a teammate of Jones at OKC, shared fourth place with Marian’s Angela Gauck (76-79-77-73—305).