(Story Courtesy of Trinity Sports Information Department)
NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – The final round of the 2024 NCAA Championships ended with the 15th-ranked Trinity University women's golf team finishing 11th on Friday afternoon, which is the best finish in school history.
The Tigers wrapped up their third straight appearance at the national tournament by improving on their finish for the third straight year. Trinity missed the cut by one place after finishing 16th in 2022, then came back last year and tied for 12th place as a team. This year, the team moved from 17th after day one, all the way up to 11th by the end of today's fourth round of play. The 11th-place finish is the best by any SCAC program since Southwestern finished seventh in 2013.
Carnegie Mellon won its first ever NCAA Women’s Golf National title after firing a final round of 296 (+8) to secure the crown. The Tartans finished the 72-hole event with a cumulative score of 1,187 (+35) to edge out Emory by 14-shots who finished with a team score of 1,201 (+49).
All American Jessica Mason led the way for Trinity over all four rounds, shooting a total score of 297 (77-74-72-74), and finishing in a tie for eighth place individually. She wrapped up the tournament with a two-over score of 74 to move into the top 10. Mason led the Tigers with 10 birdies on the week, with six of those coming over the final two rounds. Mason’s tie for eighth in the best individual SCAC finish since Southwestern’s Kelsey Coburn finished in a tie for seventh at the 2013 Championships.
George Fox’s Alison Takamiya captured individual medalist honors with a four round even par score of 288. Takamiya was one of just two players in the field under par during the final round, carding a 70 to win the NCAA Individual title.
Lauren Huddleston scored a total of 328 (87-86-78-77) for the tournament, improving her score in every round, and finishing with a five-over score of 77 on Friday. She carded a pair of birdies in today's round, including a birdie on the par-3 sixth that kept her at even par over the back nine – which is tied for the best score on the team over that stretch.
Alejandra Sanchez De La Fuente Molino wrapped up the tournament with a 76 to match her lowest score of the weekend, finishing with a total score of 310 (76-79-79-76). She birdied the final hole of the day at No. 9 to end the week on a high note.
Erin Flynn and Kiona Hsiu closed out their senior seasons today, making their third appearances at the NCAA Tournament, and sweeping the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships for four straight years. Hsiu finished with an overall score of 336 (89-78-80-89) for the tournament. Flynn shot her second consecutive round under 80 today, finishing with a total of 313 (80-80-76-77). She birdied twice on the front nine to tie a pair of teammates at plus-two heading into the turn.
Head coach Shelby DeVore finalizes her third season as the Trinity head coach with the best finish in school history for the third straight year. She has led the team to the SCAC Championship in each of her first three years, as well as taking the Tigers to the NCAA Championships the past three seasons – the only appearances in school history for the Trinity women's golf program.
