Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney women's golf team shot the second lowest 54-hole score in program history (888) to finish ninth at the 2025 NCAA Central Regional Wednesday in Edmond, Okla.
 
The three-day, 18-team event was hosted by Central Oklahoma at the par 70 Kickingbird G.C. (5,834 yards). Due to the weather, the teams played 36 holes on Monday and the final 18 on Wednesday with Tuesday being a rain day. 
 
The top four teams, plus the top two individuals not on the advancing teams, move onto the NCAA Championships May 13-17 in Boulder City, Nev. This year's qualifiers are four nationally ranked squads in Central Missouri (845), Henderson State, Ark. (857), Arkansas Tech (865) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (868). The individuals headed to Nevada are fourth place finishers Drew Dodgion of Southwestern Oklahoma State and Lydia Sitorus of Rogers (Okla.) State as both shot a 3-over 213.
 
UNK came in seeded eighth and was in 10th place after the first two rounds. The Lopers had a later tee time today and zoomed up four places in the early going before tallying a 299. They were just 13 strokes behind fifth place Rogers State with four squads shooting between an 882-887. The Lopers had rounds of 303, a school-record 286 and 299. The 2023 squad managed an 886 at regionals to set the standard and qualify for nationals.
 
Colombian senior Juliana Botero Molina (73-71-73) and Arizona junior Emmie Rhude (72-72-73) both fired a school-record 217 to tie for 18th place. Allison Comer (218) set the previous 54-hole mark at 2023 regionals. Botero's final tourney as a Loper included four birdies and 39 pars with Rhude at seven birdies and 35 pars.
 
Botero also sets new Loper records for career rounds (101), career stroke average (76.82) and season stroke average (75.41). She bested her own season record set last year (76.25), easily broke Comer's career stroke average mark (78.38) and the 96 rounds Faviola Gonzalez recorded between 2019-23.
 
UCM's Maya McVey, ranked 87th in Division II, and UAFS's Ali Perry both carded a 1-under 209 in regulation with a playoff held to determine medalist honors. Finally, Minnesota freshman Calie Dockter (T-63rd/229; 80-71-78), Kansas sophomore Liz Lyons (T-65th/230; 80-72-78) and Kansas sophomore Claire Berquist (T-69th/231;78-78-75) were separated by just two strokes. Lyons enters the 2025-26 season fourth on the career stroke average list (78.83 over 46 rounds).
 
Besides Botero Molina, UNK loses Sophia Coleman (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Brooke King (Overland Park, Kan.) to graduation.