By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho – The Western Washington University women's golf team fired its lowest team round of the season to secure a runner-up finish at the 2025 GNAC Golf Championships.
WWU made a run at the top spot on the leaderboard with a team score of 9-over-par 297 in Tuesday's final round at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, breaking the previous season low round of 301 set during the season opening fall tournament. The Vikings completed the two-day, 36-hole tournament at 35-over-par 611, four strokes back of team champion Simon Fraser, which won its third consecutive GNAC title.
The Vikings were led by junior Lauren F. Lee tying for 3rd place individually at 6-over-par 150, highlighted by a 1-over-par 73 in the final round. Lee led the 30-player field with 26 pars.
Junior Emma Worgum tied for 6th place at 8-over-par 152 (77-75) on the par 72 layout and junior Kasey Maralack and freshman Lauren J. Lee tied for 10th place at 12-over-par 156. Maralack shot a collegiate-low 2-over-par 74 in the final round to move up the leaderboard eight spots into the top 10 of the field. Lee tied her season low with a 3-over-par 75. Freshman Kenzie Walsh rounded out the Vikings competitors tying for 14th at 14-over-par 158 with consecutive rounds of 7-over-par 79.
Meera Minhas of Simon Fraser earned individual medalist honors finishing at 3-over-par 147 with her final round score of 1-under-par 71 marking the low round of the two-day tournament. Minhas earned a one-stroke victory over Christine Cho of Northwest Nazarene.
WWU placed well ahead of third-place Montana State Billings with a 16-stroke cushion between the Vikings and Yellowjackets. Simon Fraser closed out its third consecutive GNAC title with a team round of 7-over-par 295, one stroke shy of the tournament single-round record 294 set by the Red Leafs in 2019.
The Vikings will now wait for the NCAA II Women's Golf Selection Show on Monday, April 28. WWU entered the GNAC Championships ranked No. 18 in the West Region, with 18 teams to be selected to play in the regional championships May 5-7 at La Paloma Golf Club in Amarillo, Texas.
GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS LEADERBOARD
Here is a look at WWU's individual results and the team leaderboard from the 2025 GNAC Championships with the tournament held at the Coeur d'Alene Golf Resort:
2025 GNAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course
Par 72 » 5,801 Yards
|
Pos.
|
Team/Player
|
To Par
|
Rd 1
|
Rd 2
|
Total
|
2nd
|
Western Washington
|
+35
|
314
|
297
|
611
|
T3rd
|
Lauren F. Lee
|
+6
|
77
|
73
|
150
|
T6
|
Emma Worgum
|
+8
|
77
|
75
|
152
|
T10
|
Kasey Maralack
|
+12
|
82
|
74
|
156
|
T10
|
Lauren J. Lee
|
+12
|
81
|
75
|
156
|
T14
|
Kenzie Walsh
|
+14
|
79
|
79
|
158
|
Pos.
|
Team
|
To Par
|
Rd 1
|
Rd 2
|
Total
|
1.
|
Simon Fraser
|
+31
|
312
|
295
|
607
|
2.
|
Western Washington
|
+35
|
314
|
297
|
611
|
3.
|
Montana State Billings
|
+51
|
321
|
306
|
627
|
4.
|
Saint Martin's
|
+59
|
326
|
309
|
635
|
5.
|
Northwest Nazarene
|
+65
|
332
|
309
|
641
|
6.
|
Seattle Pacific
|
+82
|
331
|
327
|
658
|
2025 WOMEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS INFO
Here is information on the 2025 GNAC Women's Golf Championships:
April 21-22, 2025 | Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course | Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Results | GNAC Women's Golf Championships History
Course Information: Par – 72 | Yardage – 5,801 | Hole-By-Hole Course Tour
Team Champion: Simon Fraser
Team Runner-Up: Western Washington
Individual Champion: Meera Minhas, Simon Fraser
Individual Runner-Up: Christine Cho, Northwest Nazarene
GNAC Women's Golf Championships Records
36-Hole Total – 142 (72-70), Dana Smith, SFU (April 22-23, 2024)
Single Round – 69, Emma Worgum, WWU (April 22, 2024)
36-Hole Total, Team – 596 (298-298), Simon Fraser (April 22-23, 2024)
Single Round, Team – 294, Simon Fraser (April 23, 2019)
Team Title Leaderboard
Western Washington – 7 (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022)
Simon Fraser – 6 (2016, 2017, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025)
Concordia – 1 (2018)
2024-25 SEASON SCHEDULE
Here is a look at the Vikings 2024-25 fall tournament schedule for the WWU Women's Golf program. All tournament recaps, season statistics and program history can be found on WWUVikings.com/WGolf.
Dates
|
Tournament
|
Location / Course
|
Finish
|
Sept. 20-21
|
SMU Grisham Memorial
|
DuPont, WA (The Home Course)
|
T-5th of 13 teams
|
Sept. 23-24
|
True North Classic
|
Burnaby, BC (Riverway Golf Course)
|
4th of 11 teams
|
Oct. 21-22
|
Dennis Rose Intercollegiate
|
Waikoloa, HI (The Village Course at Waikoloa)
|
9th of 15 teams
|
Oct. 25-26
|
HPU Sharks Shootout
|
Kamuela, HI (Mauna Lani Golf - North Course)
|
T-7th of 15 teams
|
Feb. 3-4
|
LA Spring Kickoff
|
Downey, CA (Rio Hondo Golf Club)
|
8th of 16 teams
|
Feb. 24-25
|
Pioneer Shootout
|
Alameda, CA (Corica Park Golf Course)
|
9th of 19 teams
|
March 31-April 1
|
WT Desert Invitational
|
Tucson, AZ (The Lodge at Ventana Canyon)
|
14th of 19 teams
|
April 4-5
|
Palm Valley Classic
|
Goodyear, AZ (Palm Valley Golf Club)
|
15th of 22 teams
|
April 21-22
|
GNAC Championships
|
Coeur d'Alene, ID (Coeur d'Alene Golf Resort)
|
2nd of 6 teams
|
May 5-7
|
NCAA West Regional
|
Amarillo, TX (La Paloma Golf Club)
|
|
May 13-17
|
NCAA National Championships
|
Boulder City, NV (Boulder Creek Golf Club)
|
|
The WWU women's golf team enters its 32nd season as an intercollegiate sport in 2024-25. WWU has a rich history on the links, winning the first five GNAC Championships beginning in 2011 and returned to the podium with back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022. WWU made its 12th appearance in the NCAA II West Regional Championships in 2022 after earning the GNAC's automatic bid. WWU has also made six trips to the NCAA II National Championships. A Viking has been named the GNAC Player of the Year in nine of the 12 years it has been awarded, including 2021-22 award winner Megan Billeter. WWU has also produced the only two players in GNAC history to earn four First Team All-GNAC awards (Jenn Paul and Kristen Hansen) and has had nine All-Americans.