Lafleche and Hicks Lead Women’s Golf to a Top-5 Finish in Summit League Championship

As the spring semester inches toward a close, so does the athletic season. Women’s golf went down to Mesa, Arizona, for the Summit League Championship. The event was held across three days, spanning from April 26 through April 28. Longbow Golf Course hosted the conference tournament for the second year in a row. NDSU said goodbye to two senior vets, with Madi Hicks and Cora Larson singing their swan song in Arizona. The Bison finished in the middle of the pack this year, fourth out of the eight-team field. The team finished with an 895(+43), five strokes behind Oral Roberts in third place. The Bison completed day one in fourth place at 303(+19). NDSU was able to hold onto fourth, improving to a 299(+15) in round two. In the final round of the season, the Bison shot their lowest round of the tournament with a 293(+9). A great final showing for the Bison, demonstrating grit as they stood their ground and improved with each round.

On the individual side of the tournament, freshman Jeri Lefleche had a breakout performance this week with a fourth-place finish in the overall standings. Lafleche shot a 220(+7), eight strokes away from the top spot, but second through fourth place were separated by just a pair of strokes. She started the tournament on the back foot, opening the first 18 with a 76(+5). She sat in a tie for 11th place before slowly climbing her way into the top five with back-to-back rounds of 72(+1) in the second and third rounds. Lafleche combined for eight birdies in her breakout. She was also honored with being named to the all-tournament team.

The second Bison to be named to the all-tournament team was senior Madi Hicks, who was also deemed the scholar of the tournament, posting a 4.0 GPA this year. As Hicks dominated in both the classroom and on the green, it was not a shock that she finished with another top-five finish in her career, tying for fifth by shooting a 221(+8). Hicks finished the first round in first place, with a 72(+1). She kept her next two rounds close with a 75(+4) in the second round, then finished her Bison career with a 74(+3). Hicks combined for four birdies in her final tournament.

Sophomore Avery Bartles finished in a tie for 24th place with a 230(+17) alongside South Dakota State rival Reese Jansa. Bartels kept the first two rounds consistent, shooting a 78(+7). Bartles’ second round was not as bad as it looks, as she only shot four bogeys with a pair of birdies; she shot five over on the first hole. In the final round, Bartles was able to put the prospects of the second round together as she shot a 74(+3) with two birdies.

Senior Cora Larson was just a stroke behind Bartles as she finished in 26th with a 231(+18). She shot three consistent rounds to end the season, starting the opening round with a 77(+6). In the second round, she lost a stroke, shooting a 78(+7). In the final round, Larson ended her Bison career with her best round of the championship, shooting a 76(+5). Larson combined for three birdies in the championship.

For the final spot in the tournament, Norah Roberts and Hannah Dunk split the tournament. Roberts started the tournament for NDSU, shooting a 79(+8). Roberts was then substituted out for Dunk, who finished the final two rounds to come in a tie for 38th place. Despite being thrown into the tournament late, Dunk shot a 74(+3) in the second round and a 73(+2) in the final round.