Lansing Sun

The Michigan State women's golf team secured a spot in the NCAA Championships after finishing third at the NCAA East Lansing Regional. The Spartans achieved a 3-under-par 285 in the final round, bringing their total to a record-breaking 4-under 860 over the three-day tournament.

USC claimed victory at the regional with a score of 9-under-par 855, followed by Oklahoma State and Northwestern. The top five teams from this event advance to the championships.

Lauren Beaudreau from Notre Dame, competing individually, won medalist honors with a remarkable 12-under-par performance.

MSU head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll praised her team's efforts, stating, "They played awesome – just like we said yesterday, we were going to play like Spartans today." This achievement marks Slobodnik-Stoll's 14th time leading MSU to the NCAA Championships.

Senior Leila Raines was instrumental for MSU, setting a new school record for an NCAA Regional with her individual score of 6-under 210. Reflecting on her performance and advancing to nationals, Raines expressed satisfaction: "It feels amazing – this is what we worked all season for."

Junior Katie Lu finished tied for 14th place overall with an even-par score across three rounds. Her teammate Shannon Kennedy had six birdies in her final round, contributing significantly to MSU's success.

Slobodnik-Stoll emphasized the importance of recruiting dedicated players as key to their advancement: "Recruiting kids that have heart and belief and passion and dedication," she noted.

The upcoming NCAA Women's Golf Championships will take place from May 17-22 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Slobodnik-Stoll remarked on coaching at such events: "The feeling of wanting to be there never dies and it never ends."

This will be Michigan State's 16th appearance at the NCAA Championships overall and their third qualification in four years under Slobodnik-Stoll’s leadership.