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Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kansas State women's golf ends eight-year postseason drought with NCAA Regional bid
MANHATTAN — The Kansas State women's golf team spent a year stewing over its 2024 postseason snub, but it also served as motivation for the Wildcats. On Wednesday, the Wildcats' perseverance paid off when they were selected as the No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional. It will be their first team postseason appearance since 2017. Advertisement "It just means so much to me," second-year K-State coach Stew Burke said. "They worked so hard. They wanted it." The Wildcats are now headed to Keene Trace Golf Club in Lexington, Kentucky, May 5-7 as part of a 12-team field. The top five regional teams advance to the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship May 16-21 in Carlsbad, California. The regional competition will be stiff with No. 1 seed and ACC champion Florida State, No. 2 USC, No. 3 TCU and No. 4 Vanderbilt. But K-State goes into the regional with some momentum. Related: Kansas State golfer claims Augusta National Women's Amateur championship Advertisement Related: Kansas State women's golfer Carla Bernat qualifies for NCAA Championship Kansas State golfer Sophie Bert follows through on a shot during the women's Big 12 Championship this week at Houston Oaks Golf Club in Huckley, Texas. The Wildcats had a strong final day in the Big 12 Tournament last week to finish fifth as a team, with senior Sophie Bert claiming the individual championship and teammate Carla Bernat tying for second. Bernat also won the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur title earlier this month. "It's awesome to be a part of the history like that," said Bert, a senior from Deurle, Belgium, who transferred in from East Tennessee State this year. "It's an amazing feeling." K-State is ranked No. 28 in the latest National Collegiate Golf Rankings and currently holds a school-record scoring average of 287.66, nearly three strokes better than a year ago. Advertisement While the Wildcats did not qualify as a team last year, Bernat, a senior from Castellon, Spain, made it as an individual and placed third in the Bryan (Texas) Regional, advancing to the NCAA Championship. Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@ or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State women's golf claims NCAA Lexington Regional bid
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat thrilled to have teammates along for NCAA Championship
MANHATTAN — Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat has accomplished just about everything she could hope for as an individual in her college golf career, but one thing was missing. She wanted to share the postseason experience with her Wildcat teammates, and she finally got the chance in her final go-round. Advertisement Not only did Bernat claim the individual title last week at the NCAA Lexington Regional, securing her place at nationals for a second straight year, thanks to a tie for second place, but the whole team is tagging along. "It means everything," Bernat, a senior from Castellon, Spain, said of advancing the NCAA Championship, which gets underway Friday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. "I'm just really happy we made it. "I've been wanting to go with my team to nationals for four years, so getting that done, I think I was more nervous playing the last hole in regionals than in Augusta, so that means everything." Related: Kansas State golfer claims Augusta National Women's Amateur championship Advertisement Related: Kansas State women's golfer Sophie Bert claims medalist honors in Big 12 Championship Kansas State senior golfer Carla Bernat watches her tee shot during the third round of the NCAA Lexington Regional last Wednesday at the Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Ky. If qualifying for nationals was the team highlight for Bernat, the individual high point to her senior season came last month when she won the Augusta National Women's Amateur title the week before The Master's. But it has been that kind of year. Bernat's three individual titles tied the school single-season record, and her 69.91 scoring average is on track to break her own school record of 70.90 from last year. The results are reflected in her postseason honors as Big 12 player of the year and a finalist for the ANNIKA Award presented to the top golfer in Division I. Advertisement K-State coach Stew Burke, who initially recruited Bernat to Tulane three years ago, has had a front row seat for her entire college career, which featured two standout seasons with the Green Wave and then two more in Manhattan when she followed Burke from New Orleans in 2023. What has impressed Burke more than Bernat's success in tournaments is the work she put in to get there. "Honestly, it's the day-to-day things that she does," Burke said. "She came in as a freshman at Tulane, and she knew she needed to get stronger and faster. She needed to get a little bit better technically, she needed to get a little bit better in her decision making, with her mental game. "And she did all of that. The plan was kind of laid out for her, and it's very easy to get sidetracked when you get good at one thing to then fall off on another thing." Advertisement Burke saw something special in Bernat from the first time he watched her on a recruiting trip to Spain when he was still the Tulane coach. Mostly, he saw the potential. "She's got a little bit of an unconventional move, and she was not a good putter," he recalled. "It's probably one of her strengths now when we talk about the little things that she's improved upon. "I think, for me, there was a high ceiling, and she wanted to know what she could improve upon in our first conversation. As a coach, that's a pretty rewarding thing, even in the recruiting process." When Burke took the K-State job, Bernat didn't hesitate to join him for her final two seasons. Burke was familiar with Manhattan from a three-year stint as a Wildcat assistant coach from 2014-17, so he quickly sold her on the idea. Advertisement "(Burke) told me really good things about Manhattan and how supported it is by the fans, and how proud this town is about the university," Bernat said. "When I came here, I knew I wanted to stay here, because the facilities are amazing. "The people are so nice compared to New Orleans. I think even when it's cold, it's nice here." While Bernat's college career winds down over the coming week, Burke knows it won't be the last women's golf fans will see of her. "She's going to do this for a living," he said. "She's going to do this for a long time, and having a small hand in her success is a big thing for Kansas State golf." Advertisement Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@ or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat views NCAA tourney as a team effort
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kansas State women's golf ready for historic first NCAA Championship appearance
The sense of history was not lost on members of the Kansas State women's golf team as they prepared for the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Championship this week at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. That's not to say that the Wildcats are intimidated by the task at hand. Not after the way they played to reach their goal with a second-place finish two weeks ago at the Lexington (Ky.) Regional. Advertisement "It's super cool," senior Sophie Bert said of finally making it to nationals. "I have not been to nationals either, so then to have it as a K-State history thing, it's amazing. "Now we are indeed at the table, and then we can show them what we've got." The tournament consists of 54 holes of stroke play, Friday through Sunday, with the 30-team field trimmed to 15 in addition to the top nine individuals from non-advancing teams. The final round of stroke play Monday will determine the individual champion as well as the eight teams that advance to the match play quarterfinals. Related: Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat thrilled to have teammates along for NCAA Championship Advertisement Related: Kansas State women's golf ends eight-year postseason drought with NCAA Regional bid Kansas State senior Sophie Bert follows through on a shot during the final round of the NCAA Lexington Regional on May 7 in Lexington, Ky. The timing of K-State's first appearance at nationals could not have been better for Bert, an East Tennessee transfer from Belgium whose season highlight was claiming medalist honors at the Big 12 Tournament. But the only Wildcat with national tournament experience is Carla Bernat, a senior from Spain, who qualified last year as an individual. She has taken her game to another level this season by winning three tournaments, including the prestigious Augusta National Women's Amateur and the NCAA Lexington Regional while finishing second to Bert in the Big 12. Advertisement Bernat, the Big 12 player of the year, also is familiar with the par-72, 6,330-yard Omni La Costa course after playing there last year. "It's pretty much brand new. The greens were really hard last year," Bernat said. "It kind of challenges everything in your game. You have par 3s that are long, and you have par 5s that are not really reachable. "You need to have a really good short game. And the greens are, of course, fast, so you need to be good at everything in that golf course." K-State coach Stew Burke accompanied Bernat to nationals last year, so between them they were able to share some course knowledge with the rest of the team during Thursday's practice round. Advertisement "It's great because Carla made some mistakes last year on some of the holes," Burke said of the experience. "So, for us, we were a little bit more tuned in on certain holes because we knew you could make a mistake pretty easily out there. "This is a national championship, so they're going to set it up pretty hard and reward good golf." In addition to Bernat and Bert, K-State's lineup features junior Noa van Beek, sophomore Alenka Navarro and freshman Nanami Nakashima, with Julia Ballester Barrio serving as the alternate. Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@ or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State women's golf embraces historic NCAA Championship debut
USA Today
15-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
10 must-watch players at the 2025 NCAA Women's Golf Championship at Omni La Costa
It's time for the national championship. The 2025 NCAA Women's Golf Championship gets underway Friday at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa's North Course in Carlsbad, California. Thirty of the best women's golf teams in the country will descend upon Southern California to battle it out for the national title. And making up those teams are some of the best players in the amateur game. There are numerous stars who will play for the individual title over the coming days at Omni La Costa, including plenty who are finalists for the 2025 Annika Award. 10 players to watch at NCAA Women's Golf Championship Carla Bernat, Kansas State Bernat, the Augusta National Women's Amateur Champion, beat the two top-ranked players in college golf to win the NCAA Lexington Regional last week, her third victory of the year. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle Carolina Chacarra, Wake Forest Chacarra has been a stalwart in Wake Forest's lineup since the Demon Deacons won the national title two years ago, and after winning the NCAA Lubbock Regional, she's in form heading to Omni La Costa. Hannah Darling, South Carolina Darling hasn't won since the season opening Annika Intercollegiate, but she also hasn't finished outside of the top 14 and is always in contention in the biggest events. Kary Hollenbaugh, Ohio State Hollenbaugh has had a dominant spring, winning four times. A T-10 at the NCAA Columbus Regional is a "bad" finish for her, but no one has won more than her in 2025. Maria Jose Marin, Arkansas A constant presence in the Razorbacks' lineup for two years, Marin knows how to content in big events, and it shouldn't be a surprise to see her near the top of the leaderboard. Farah O'Keefe, Texas O'Keefe is the best player in college golf without a win this season, but she has seven top-10 finishes, including a solo second at the NCAA Lubbock Regional. Andrea Revuelta, Stanford It's hard to pick just one player from Stanford, but Revuelta has been the hottest coming into the NCAA Championship, winning both the ACC individual title and NCAA Norman Regional. Kiara Romero, Oregon Romero was one of the most consistent players in the country heading into the postseason, and she finally broke through at the Big 10 Championship and added another win at the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional. Mirabel Ting, Florida State Ting is part of a dominant Florida State 1-2 punch (more on No. 2 later), winning five times this season and losing to only nine golfers in eight stroke-play events all year. Lottie Woad, Florida State The other half of the Seminoles' dynamic duo, Woad led after the opening round at NCAAs last year and has remained the No. 1 amateur in the world for coming up on a year.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Carla Bernat leads Kansas State women's golf to first NCAA national tournament berth
Carla Bernat and her Kansas State women's golf teammates saved their best for last. They made history in the process. Bernat shot a 6-under-par 66 Wednesday to claim individual medalist honors as the Wildcats produced the day's best team score at 10-under to tie for second in the NCAA Lexington Regional at Keene Trace Golf Club in Nicholasville, Kentucky. By finishing in the top five, K-State advanced to nationals for the first time ever May 16-21 in Carlsbad, California. Advertisement "Moments like this are why we do all the work," K-State coach Stew Burke said. "It was a pleasure to be out there today with them. They were composed, confident, and determined. Nobody was going to give it to us, so we just had to go out there and take it." Bernat's round, which included a double-eagle 2 on the par-5 fifth hole and four birdies, vaulted her from third place to a two-stroke victory (-12, 204 total) over team champion Florida State's Lottie Woad and Mirabel Ting. The Wildcats also got a 5-under 67 from freshman Nanami Nakashima, which moved her into an 11th-place tie alongside Alenka Navarro at even par for the tournament. Related: Kansas State women's golf moves one step closer to qualifying for NCAA Championship Related: Kansas State women's golf finishes strong in opening round of NCAA Lexington Regional Kansas State golfer Carla Bernat celebrates after winning the Augusta National Women's Amateur last month. Bernat topped that Wednesday by claiming medalist honors in the NCAA Lexington Regional and leading the Wildcats to a second-place team finish. Noa van Beek added a 1-over 73 and Sophie Bert a 3-over 75 to complete the Wildcats' round for the day. Advertisement Top seed Florida State won the team title at 15-under for the three rounds, while K-State gained five strokes to tie Georgia Southern for second at 10-under. The Wildcats' 278 total Wednesday tied for eighth lowest in program history over 54 holes. Bernat, a senior from Castellon, Spain, who was the Big 12 player of the year, tied Bert's 54-hole school record with her 12-under-par 204. "Carla really had a great tournament and built well into the week," Burke said of Bernat. "Winning a regional against the No. 1 and 2 players not just in the country but the world is no easy feat. "It was special to see her albatross at hole 5, and it came right when we needed it as a team. To win once in college golf is an unbelievable achievement, but eight times is truly remarkable. She has a bright future ahead of her after college, but let's first try and add to that total in California." Advertisement The NCAA Championship, which starts Friday, May 16, features four rounds of stroke play to determine the individual champion as well as the top eight teams that will advance to match play May 20-21. Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@ or on X (formerly Twitter) at @arnegreen. This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State women's golf qualifies for first national tournament
