HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Kennesaw State thrived in round three to stand alone atop the 2024 ASUN Women’s Golf Championship field to collect the program’s sixth conference title Wednesday evening.
The win marks the first ASUN Championship claim in the Erin Thorne era and the first tournament or invitational win of the season for the Owls.
Capturing the conference golf earned KSU an automatic bid into the NCAA Women’s Golf Championship. It will be the sixth time the Owls have reached a Division I NCAA Regional.
Bella Kil wrapped up another top-10 performance which moved her into a class of her own. Showcasing 15 top-10 finishes, Kil now is the all-time program leader, passing Ket Preamchuen (14). In round two, she tied the all-time program record with a 66-round score. It was only the second time an Owl has done so in the ASUN Championship.
How It Happened
The Owls entered the day with back-to-back finishes in second place in rounds one and two. They started the final day five strokes behind Lipscomb and concluded two strokes ahead of the Bisons.
The team leader in round three was Allessandra Nagayo as she tallied a career-best round score of 69.
Lara Jecnik was not far behind as she posted a two-under 70 score, her best of the tournament.
Kil carded another spectacular day as she ended round three with a 71. Through 54 holes, Kil collected 40 pars, the second most in the field. She was one of three Owls who registered below par rounds.
Rounding out her second-best tournament of the year was Caitlyn Campbell-Nyman. She finalized her 217 score with a 76 on day three.
Nyah Kelly ended with her second-best round score of 77.
Top Ranked Owls
3.
Bella Kil (213)
T5.
Alessandra Nagayo (217)
T5.
Caitlyn Campbell-Nyman (217)
Four Owls landed in the top four. It is the third occurrence in KSU ASUN Championship program history.
Our History
– The Owls continue to save their best performances for last by finishing in the top four in every ASUN Championship since the 2009-10 season.
– KSU has had a player finish inside the top-four individually in every event since the 2011-12 campaign. Kil led the way the past two years with a fourth-place finish last year and a third-place score this week.
– The Owls have won five of the last nine ASUN women’s golf titles including three in-a-row from 2017-18 to 2021. KSU snatched individual medalist honors in each of the last 11 championships dating back to 2012-13.
– The program also has the second-most all-time ASUN women’s golf titles with six, two behind former conference member Campbell. Of the 14 tournament wins the Owls have garnered, six have been conference titles.
– The Owls have landed at least one all-conference member dating back to 2008. Jecnik and Kil were both first-team members last year with Cameron Neilson landing on third team.
– It’s the Owls first tournament/invitational win in the state of Alabama.
– KSU boasts the most individual medalist honors in ASUN Championship history with seven. The next-closest active ASUN foe is Stetson with two.
What’s Next
The NCAA has listed four regional sites: Auburn, Wake Forest, Texas A&M and Nevada. The selection show is slated for April 24 on the Golf Channel. Regionals will take place May 6-8 with the NCAA Championships occurring May 17-22.