MSU Women Win NCAA Regional in Florida

By Tom Lang

In a show of fortitude and northern toughness, the MSU Women’s golf team led from wire to wire to take the crown of NCAA Regional champion, for the first time in the MSU program’s history.

The tournament was played at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, the site of the annual PGA Tour Honda Classic, May 8-10.

Sophomore Brooke Biermann also tied for medalist by scoring 3-under 69-73-71 – 213 with Latanna Stone of LSU. The Spartans had three players finish in the top 14, with Valentina Rossi at T9 and Leila Raines at T14.

The Spartans beat out every team ranked ahead of them coming into the event.

MSU (ranked No. 34) won with team scores of 285-296-291 – 872, good for just 8-over par total in three rounds. Duke (28) was second at 875, while Texas (10) and Northwestern (15) tied for third at 878. The favorite, LSU (3) placed fifth at 879 to make the final field advancing to the NCAA Finals in Arizona in a couple weeks. MSU came in listed as the 6th seed.

“Such an awesome feeling winning our Regional,” coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said in a text after the tournament. “We beat some great teams and it certainly gives us a lot of confidence going into the National Championship. Plus, this is our first Regional win. That makes it extra special.”

MSU has previously advanced to the national finals 14 times, with the highest outcome a 9th place finish in 2013.

The Spartans pulled off the huge feat at Regionals without their former No. 1 player in the lineup. Valery Plata, who played during the fall season, qualified for the LPGA Tour with a full card before this spring season began, and decided to turn pro during the winter. She still went on to graduate last week.