Newberry’s Besio Remains In First Place At DII Women’s Golf National Championship

MESA, Ariz. - Through 36 holes played at the NCAA Division II National Championship women's golf tournament, Newberry College sophomore Maria Besio holds a two stroke lead after a record-breaking second round performance on Thursday.

Teeing off at 9:10 a.m. Pacific time, Besio (Buenos Aires, Argentina) birdied the par-5 first hole at the Longbow Golf Club. The site of the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship for women's golf, Longbow is a par-71, 6,159-yard course.

Besio, representing Newberry as an individual, continued a hot start with a pair of birdies on holes six and eight to complete the front nine with just 32 strokes, three under par. Playing an even par back nine with a bogey on 14 and a birdie on 18, Besio completed the second round with a stroke total of 68.

Breaking a school record in the process, Besio's 3-under par round on Thursday tops the leaderboard and paces 2nd place Sandra Changkija of Nova Southeastern University by two strokes (74-67; -1). Changkija shot a tournament best 4-under par on day two.

Besio's 68 followed up an even par first round of 71 on Monday, setting two Newberry school records. The second round 68 bests the school record for an 18-hole low previously held by Besio and former Newberry golfer Franziska Blum by two strokes. Besio's two-day score of 139 (71-68; -3) edged Blum's previous school record for a 36-hole low by three strokes.

Behind Besio and Changkija, Joanna Coe of Rollins College occupies 3rd with a 144 (74-70; +2). Tied for 4th and each shooting a 146 over two days, Cicilia Chudivan (75-71; +4) of CSU-Monterey Bay and Emily Kvidera (72-74; +4) from Augustana College wrap up the top-5 individual slots.

Through two rounds in the battle for a team national championship, Nova Southeastern has a stranglehold on 1st with a 29-stroke lead. The Sharks have a two-day combined score of 583 (298-285; +15).

Rollins sits in 2nd with a 612 (306-306; +44) and Tarleton State University is in 3rd with a 616 (311-305; +48).

In the third of a four round tournament, Besio will tee off at 7:40 a.m. Pacific time at the first hole Friday morning and will be paired with Georgina Dunn from Grand Canyon University and Lyndsey Bevill from Northern Kentucky University.

NCAA Division II Women's Golf National Championship
Mesa, Ariz. Longbow Golf Club
Par: 71 Yardage: 6,159

For full team results through two rounds, click here.

Individual Top-10

For full individual leaderboard, click here.