Newberry’s Besio Extends Lead At NCAA Women’s Golf Championship
MESA, Ariz. - After three completed rounds at the NCAA Division II National Championship women's golf tournament, Newberry College sophomore Maria Besio continues to occupy the top spot in a field of 71 participants in Mesa, Ariz.
Besio (Buenos Aires, Argentina) shot a sparkling 69, 2-under par, in the third round at the par-71, 6,159-yard Longbow Golf Club to total 208 (71-68-69; -5) strokes for the tournament. Leading the No. 1 ranked golfer in Division II, Sandra Changkija of Nova Southeastern University, by four strokes, Besio has rewritten school and conference record books on Division II golf's largest stage.
With a three day stroke total of 208, Besio breaks her own
school record a 54-hole low by 17 strokes set at the 2010 Food Lion
South Atlantic Conference Championships. The 208 also represents a
new record by a SAC women's golfer for a 54-hole low.
Thursday, Besio recorded new school and conference records for an 18-hole low, a 3-under par second round 68, and a 36-hole low, a 3-under par two round total of 139.
Besio's terrific third round was not without adversity on Friday. After finishing the front nine even par with a bogey on five and a birdie on six, Besio registered two bogeys through five holes on the back nine. At 2-over par with four holes remaining, completing the third round under par seemed out of reach.
On cue, the sophomore sensation for Newberry regained her impeccable form with an astounding stretch in the round's final four holes. Besio cranked out four consecutive birdies on 15, 16, 17, and 18 to neatly sew up a third round of 69, 2-under par.
Besio has accumulated 12 birdies in the tournament. With one day remaining, Newberry's individual representative at the national tournament looks to fend off the likes of Changkija (74-67-71; -1) and Rollins College star Joanna Coe (74-70-77; +8) to make history for Newberry, the SAC, and the state of South Carolina.
Maria's bid for an individual national championship begins at 7:40 a.m. Pacific, 10:40 a.m. Eastern, and can be followed via live statistics from Golfstat.com. In the team competition, Nova Southeastern holds a 35-stroke advantage heading into the tournament's final day (298-285-296=879; +27).
NCAA Division II Women's Golf National
Championships
Mesa, Ariz. Longbow Golf Club
Par: 71 Yardage: 6,159
| Top-5 Team Results (Through 54 holes) | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Rd. 3 | Total | Relation to Par | |
| 1. | Nova Southeastern University | 298 | 285 | 296 | 879 | +27 |
| 2. | Rollins College | 306 | 306 | 302 | 914 | +62 |
| 3. | Florida Southern College | 317 | 302 | 303 | 922 | +70 |
| Tarleton State University | 311 | 305 | 306 | 922 | +70 | |
| 5. | Sonoma State University | 313 | 305 | 305 | 923 | +71 |
For full team leaderboard, click here.
Individual Top-10
| Individual | Team | Rd. 1 | Rd. 2 | Rd. 3 | Total | Relation to Par | |
| 1. | Maria Besio | Newberry | 71 | 68 | 69 | 208 | -5 |
| 2. | Sandra Changkija | Nova Southeastern | 74 | 67 | 71 | 212 | -1 |
| 3. | Joanna Coe | Rollins | 74 | 70 | 77 | 221 | +8 |
| 4. | Cicilia Chudivan | CSU-Monterey ! Bay | 75 | 71 | 76 | 222 | +9 |
| Emily Kvidera | Augustana | 72 | 74 | 76 | 222 | +9 | |
| 6. | Nicole Whitmore | Nova Southeastern | 75 | 75 | 73 | 223 | +10 |
| 7. | Spencer Heller | Sonoma State | 77 | 76 | 73 | 226 | +13 |
| Ashley Smith | Grand Valley State | 77 | 74 | 75 | 226 | +13 | |
| 9. | Maria Garcia Austt | Nova Southeastern | 75 | 74 | 78 | 227 | +14 |
| 10. | Melanie Audette | Florida Southern | 82 | 72 | 74 | 228 | +15 |
| Carla Cooper | Tarleton State | 79 | 76 | 73 | 228 | +15 | |
| Abbey Gittings | Nova Southeastern | 74 | 80 | 74 | 228 | +15 |
For full individual leaderboard, click here.