SIMPSONVILLE, Ky. – History was made once again for the Iowa State Women’s Golf team. For the second-straight year, and third time in program history, the Cyclonitas have qualified for the NCAA National Championships.
Iowa State, the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Louisville Regional, finished in a tie for fourth place to advance to the NCAA National Championships. The NCAA National Championships will be held May 22-27 at the Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. Last season, Iowa State finished in a tie for 22nd, the highest finish in program history.
The Cyclones shot a 292 in the final round, bringing their 54-hole score to an 855. The fourth-place finish is the second-best in program history behind last year’s third-place finish at the NCAA Lubbock Regional. ISU’s 855 over 54-holes is the lowest 54-hole NCAA score in school history, surpassing the 860 from 2023.
Sophomore Nichakorn Pinprayoon led the Cyclonitas, as she tied for 13th overall, tied for the 10th-best finish in an NCAA Regional in school history. Pinprayoon tallied three birdies on the front nine, as her 214 over the three rounds is tied for the fourth-best NCAA score in school history.
In fitting fashion, Iowa State’s two seniors both shot a 72 in the final round and tied for 20th together with a 215. Pammy Chookaew and Karisa Chul-Ak-Sorn’s 215 over the three rounds is tied for the sixth-best NCAA score in school history. In four trips to an NCAA Regional, it was the best score for each of them. Chookaew had three birdies on the day, while Chul-Ak-Sorn added a pair. Chul-Ak-Sorn averaged 4.33 strokes (-8) on par 5’s during the event, the best average in the field.
Isabella Yan and Alexandra Vidal tied for 30th overall, as they both shot a 217 over the three rounds. The 217 is tied for the ninth-best NCAA score in school history. Yan shot a 75 in the final round, while Vidal rounded out the Cyclone lineup with a 76. Yan had two birdies in her first four holes, while Vidal had three birdies in the first six holes.
No. 7 Auburn won the team title with an 847, edging No. 30 Houston by six strokes. The Cougars held a one stroke lead over No. 6 Arkansas, while the Razorbacks were just one stroke ahead of the No. 18 Cyclones and No. 19 Ole Miss, as both teams finished with an 855. No. 37 just missed the cut, finishing five strokes behind Iowa State and Ole Miss.
Iowa State finished the 54 holes with 49 birdies, tied for the third-most in the field. The Cyclonitas had 177 pars, the second-most behind Indiana’s 186.
