Monday, April 25, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – After winning the GNAC Championships by 10 strokes last Tuesday in Coeur d’Alene, the postseason berth for Western Washington women’s golf became official when the Vikings earned a spot in the 48-team field announced today by the NCAA.

The Vikings earned the No. 12 seed in the West Regional, which is comprised of teams from five conferences including the GNAC, and will travel to the Brookside Golf and Country Club in Stockton, California on May 2-4. This is the second consecutive year the Vikings women have advanced to the regional round. They placed ninth a season ago.

Western Washington’s top finisher at that 2021 regional was Elise Sumner, who tied for 37th at 238 over 54 holes to conclude a season in which Sumner led the conference in stroke average and was named the GNAC Player of the Year. Now a sophomore, Sumner has already done something in 2022 she didn’t do during her honor-laden 2021 season – win the GNAC Championships.

Sumner followed up her sixth-place finish from 2021 to take the conference tournament title by shooting a tournament-low round of 73 on the second day and finishing at 7-over-par 149. Sumner won by two strokes over teammate Dani Bailey, whose day-two 75 matched the second-lowest round of the tournament. Sumner had four pars and a birdie over the last five holes while Bailey closed her round with five consecutive pars.

This year’s conference stroke average leader is junior Megan Billeter, who averaged 77.6 per round, including a 68 back in September which tied the GNAC all-time low round. She finished tied for fifth at the GNAC Championships. Sophomore Claire Moon, who ranks third in the conference with a 78.3 stroke average, and senior Sarah Shea will compete WWU’s lineup.

The Vikings have now advanced to the regional 12 times in program history and have previously qualified six times for the national championships. The top five teams out of the 12 competing in Stockton will advance to the national championships on May 10-14 in Gainesville, Georgia along with the top two individual golfers from non-advancing teams.