By: Ryan Thorpe, Associate A.D. for Communications
HOUSTON – The UIndy women's golf team finished off an impressive stay at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships Saturday, running away with the national title with a staggering 38-stroke win. The Greyhounds combined for a 72-hole score of 1,157 (+5), matching the tournament record for lowest team tally. In addition, the wire-to-wire victory at the four-day tournament, held at Bay Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas, was punctuated by an individual national championship from junior
Katharina Keilich (-1).
The result marks the second time in four years that the Greyhounds have hoisted the DII trophy. In 2015, UIndy become the first non-Florida school to capture the DII women's golf crown, and this year they join the ranks of only four other teams to have won multiple titles.
The program also had one previous individual national champion, though it did not come in 2015. Former UIndy All-American
Lyndsay McBride took the national medal in 2009 and is now joined by Keilich. The Wetzlar, Germany native finished at one-under par for the tournament, carding scores of 71-71-72-73.
Under the leadership of Head Coach
Brent Nicoson, the Greyhounds have now finished in the top five at each of the last five DII Championships, with seniors
Paxton DeHaven and
Annika Haynes appearing in the lineup on four of those occasions. Saturday's win brings their careers full circle, as they were both freshmen on the Hounds' aforementioned 2015 championship team.
Sophomore
Pilar Echeverria (76-75-72-69) vaulted into a share of second with a final-round 69, matching the second-lowest single-round score of the entire tournament. Senior
Kylie Raines (70-71-77-74), who played her final collegiate round Saturday, secured fourth place with a strong finish. DeHaven (72-70-73-80) capped her career with a seventh-place showing, while Haynes (73-79-78-74) carded a two-over 74 in her last college round to tie for 27th.
The year's final tournament also brought about the solidification of a number of program records. This group has now set new single-season marks for team scoring average (293.2) and winning percentage (.948). Echeverria also broke her own school record for lowest single-season average at 73.2 strokes per round.
FRIDAY
The No. 2-ranked UIndy women's golf team continued to roll at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships Friday, carding the lowest team score for the third consecutive day. The Greyhounds (286-287-294) will carry a hefty 24-stroke lead over the field heading into Saturday's final round.
Individually, the Hounds have staked claim to three of the top four spots and four of the top 10. After shooting even par Friday, junior
Katharina Keilich (71-71-72) leads the field at -2, followed closely by senior
Paxton DeHaven (72-70-73) at -1. Senior
Kylie Raines (70-71-77), who led after each of the first two rounds, now sits in fourth at +2.
Sophomore
Pilar Echeverria (73-75-72) fired an even-par 72 today to jump to eighth at +4, while senior
Annika Haynes (73-79-78) is tied for 36th at +14.
The jockeying for second place continued Friday, as a third different team in as many days positioned itself in the No. 2 spot. This time it was fourth-ranked Barry University that made the climb, as the Buccaneers moved up two spots with a third-round score of 297. After the 24-stroke margin between UIndy and the field, just three shots separate second through fourth place.
THURSDAY
With 36 of 72 holes in the books, the No. 2-ranked UIndy women's golf team (286-287) upped its lead to a sizable 15 strokes at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships Thursday. After a hot start yesterday, the Greyhounds posted another red number in the second round, combining for a team score of -1.
The second-, third- and fourth-place teams after 18 holes all shot over 300 Thursday to widen the gap between UIndy and the field. That also opened the door for No. 1-ranked Nova Southeastern, who vaulted into second place with a second-round score of +4. NSU is the only Division II team to have beaten the Hounds this season.
Three of the four golfers still under par are Greyhounds. Senior
Kylie Raines climbed to the top of the leaderboard at -3. She followed yesterday's two-under 70 with a one-under 71 Thursday to lead the 72-player field at the halfway mark.
Teammates
Katharina Keilich (71-71) and
Paxton DeHaven (72-70) are tied with Tarleton State's Casey Wild at -2. DeHaven carded the lowest score of the day with a two-under 70.
Sophomore
Pilar Echeverria (73-75) is tied for 18th at +4, while senior
Annika Haynes (73-79) dipped to +8 and is tied for 34th.
WEDNESDAY
The No. 2-ranked UIndy women's golf team started play at the 2018 NCAA Division II Championships Wednesday with a stellar first round. The Greyhounds (286) combined for a team score -2 to build an early four-stroke lead over the field.
UIndy put together a remarkably consistent round, as all five Hounds finished at +1 or better. Senior
Kylie Raines led the way at -2 to share third place and settle just one back of the individual lead. The Dublin, Ohio native closed the round with five birdies and five pars on her final 10 holes.
Junior
Katharina Keilich is tied for sixth at -1, having ripped off four consecutive birdies in one stretch. Senior
Paxton DeHaven's even-par 72 was good for a share of 12th, while sophomore
Pilar Echeverria and senior
Annika Haynes are tied for 16th at +1.
Click here to see an interview with DeHaven and Haynes.
Sitting in second place, No. 3-ranked Dallas Baptist (290) used a strong finish to trim the UIndy lead to four strokes through 18 holes. Fourth-ranked Barry (292), No. 11 California Baptist (293) and top-ranked Nova Southeastern (296) round out the top five.
Two players carded 69s in the opening round, as individual-competitors Casey Wild of Tarleton State and Tampa's Kiira Riihijavi sit atop the leaderboard after day one.
