When the No. 31 women’s golf team took off for the NCAA Regional in Columbus, Ind., it had just one goal in mind: make nationals.
It seemed a long shot considering it had been 10 years since the Ducks last competed in the NCAA Championships. But head coach Ria Quiazon believed in her players, and that infectious confidence paid off as Oregon tied for sixth overall to earn that coveted NCAA bid.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team,” Quiazon said. “There were many people that didn’t believe we could make it to nationals, but our players did, and that’s all that mattered.”
Oregon’s final score of 939 (75 over par) tied No. 23 Florida State. No. 5 USC won the tournament with a 907 (43 over par), while No. 2 Arizona State followed close behind in second with a 915 (51 over par). No. 8 Purdue rounded out the top three with a 931 (67 over par).
On the individual side, Kendra Little lived up to her billing as Oregon’s top player. The junior tied for eighth overall with a 228 (12 over par) and even led at one point in the early rounds.
“Kendra again pulled it out when it counts,” Quiazon said. “She continues to refine every part of her game. She had a great first round because she played smart and managed the course well and that set her up for the tournament.”
Martina Gavier of No. 34 Kent State took home the individual title with a final score of 219 (three over par). Lizette Salas of USC was just two strokes behind with a 221 (five over par), while Marta Silva Zamora of No. 14 earned third place with a 223 (seven over par).
Freshman Cheyenne Hickle, meanwhile, played beyond her years and finished tied for 12th overall with a 230 (14 over par).
“Cheyenne has evolved so much the last couple weeks,” Quiazon said. “She’s hitting it great and getting up and down well.”
Sophomore Ashley Edwards tied for 38th with a 237 (21 over par), and junior Erica Omlid shot a 246 (30 over par) to tie for 79th.
“Erica also played steady and had a lot of great holes,” Quiazon said. “I received compliments about her shots from various spectators and professionals.”
One of the only negatives of the weekend was the play of senior Kate Hildahl, who tied for 89th with a 250 (34 over par). But it didn’t concern Quiazon.
“Kate tried really hard to help the team,” Quiazon said. “Maybe a little too hard since she didn’t want this to be her last tournament. I’m looking forward to seeing her help us again at nationals because she can play with anyone.”
Hildahl’s struggles aside, the team’s performance was even more impressive given the unpredictable conditions in Indiana.
“The wind always seemed to be changing,” Quiazon said, “so playing in those difficult settings may put us at more ease at nationals, and overall it was a great learning experience.”
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