Women’s golf takes second in NAIA regionals

Eagles fall just short of national tournament berth but finish season with strong showing.

Austin Green, Managing Editor • April 25, 2017

Courtesy of Max Allen

Led by freshman Alexis Gopfert and buoyed by contributions from the entire roster, the Eagles finished in second place at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics West Regional Championships. The three-day tournament, which took place from April 17-19, gave the Biola squad the opportunity to finish their NAIA career on a high note before transitioning to Division II of the NCAA next season.

Biola’s team score of 164 shots over par trailed first-place Embry-Riddle Areonautical University (+74) by 90, but was 92 shots better than Marymount University (+256), which finished in third. Gopfert posted the highest individual score of any Eagle in the competition, moving up two spots to finish fifth overall thanks to a fantastic 73 on the final day. Fellow freshman Tori Roeske also saved her best for last, as her daily scores of 86, 88, and 83 secured an eighth-place finish.

Three more Eagles wound up in the top 20: Sophomore Mary Karnazes placed tenth with a total score of 264, Freshman Jenny Zhang recovered from a brutal first day to finish in a three-way tie for fourteenth, and senior Amanda Hobbs concluded her collegiate career by shooting 275 for a seventeenth-place finish.

Despite missing out on continuing their season in the NAIA national tournament, Biola will head into the NCAA next fall with a strong group of underclassmen headlined by Gopfert, Roeske, Zhang as well as several promising recruits.

0 0 votes

Article Rating

About the Contributor

Austin Green, Managing Editor

Austin Green is a junior journalism major who was first among his friends to predict that LeBron James would sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. When not focused on school or work, he enjoys watching sports, going to the beach or coffee shops, and hanging out with the guys on his dorm floor. [email protected] I laughed the first time I heard a former editor-in-chief use the line “once you join the Chimes, you never really leave.” Now in my third year here, it turns out the joke’s on me. After two years in the sports section, including last year as sports editor, I’m thrilled to be serving this year as managing editor to help build upon the legacy of such a great publication. My aspirations remain in sports journalism, but experience has deepened my love for dedicated local news reporting and its importance in communities. Much of my appreciation for that type of journalism came through working as a digital production intern for NBC Los Angeles last summer. There I helped cover stories such as the Trader Joe’s hostage crisis, the Cranston and Holy wildfires, and the Lakers’ overhaul of their iconic uniforms. I am so excited to help build this next chapter of the Chimes as we become a web-first publication with a deeper, dedicated focus on the communities in and around campus. I also contribute a print sports column, “Everything Eagles,” which provides a deeper look into Biola Athletics.

The Chimes

The Chimes

The Chimes

Women’s golf takes second in NAIA regionals

The Chimes

Comments (0)