HUNTLEY, Ill. ---The NAIA Ranked No. 24 Bethel University Women's Golf team showed up and showed out in the final round of the NCCAA North Central Region Championship on Tuesday, ultimately punching their ticket to the National Championship for the 13th consecutive year.
Bethel shot 318 and held a five shot lead over Northwestern (Minn.) after the opening round. Sophomore
Megan Bishop fired a 78, and Sophomore
Karisa Dyer and Freshman
Ellie Webster added matching 79's.
On Tuesday, the Pilots' depth and experience came to light as 3-time All-American
Selah Unwin led a group of 4 players scoring in the 70's, carding a 4-over-par 76. Bethel's slim 5 shot lead soon became an 18-stroke margin as 78's from Dyer and Bishop combined with Webster's stellar 76 led to an impressive team score of 308.
Four Pilots earned a spot on the All-Tournament and All-Region team with Webster finishing as the tournament runner-up, Bishop in 3rd, Dyer in 4th, and Unwin in 5th place.
Below are the team and individual scores for each round:
| Team |
Rd. 1 |
Rd. 2 |
Total |
| Bethel |
318 |
308 |
626 |
| Northwestern |
323 |
321 |
644 |
| Judson |
349 |
352 |
701 |
| Crown |
360 |
364 |
724 |
| North Central |
444 |
460 |
804 |
Head Coach
Christopher Hess earned his 11th North Central Region Coach-of-the-Year Award.
"It was an amazing day for these young ladies as they stepped up big time and played with so much confidence," said Coach Hess. "We haven't played even close to our potential this fall, so when the pressure was on, it was very rewarding to perform the way we did today. We've got a lot of work to do, but we have proven over the last 3-4 rounds that when we do show up, we can be a team that is going to be tough to beat. Our goal now is to continue the steps we've taken and be at our best when we get to nationals a month from now."
With the win, Bethel earns an automatic bid to the NCCAA National Championship on October 20-22 at Hammock Beach Resort's Conservatory course in Palm Coast, Fla. The six-team field will be announced in the first week of October.
For more information about Bethel Pilots Athletics, check out bupilots.com or follow us on Instagram, Facebook, or X by searching @bupilots or #TheRightWayToPlay.
