Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney women's golf team has once again qualified for the 2026 NCAA Central Regional May 4-6 in St. Joseph, Mo.

The regional field, announced Sunday (April 26) night, consists of 18 teams from the MIAA, Great American Conference (GAC) and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) as well as six individuals not from one of those squads.

Previously, just nine Central teams qualified. The regional committee uses a varsity of criteria from the regular season, including head-to-head competition and tournament finish, to determine the selections/seeding.

The recently expanded Division II NCAA women's golf regional field features 72 teams and 24 individuals competing at four regional sites (St. Joe; Findlay, Ohio; Cleveland, Tenn.; Pueblo, Colo.). The top five Central teams, along with the top two individuals not on those teams, move on to the NCAA Championships May 12-16 in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Missouri Western hosts the Central at the St. Joe G.C. UNK took part in the "MWSU Holiday Inn Express Invitational" in Oct. 2025 and was 12th out of 19 teams (653: 323-330).

UNK has qualified for this tournament six times in program history and for the fourth time in fifth years. The 2023 Lopers were third out of nine squads (898) to move on to the NCAA Championships where they finished 13th.

Teams
1.    Arkansas Tech (Auto bid from GAC)
2.    Rogers State
3.    Southwestern Oklahoma State
4.    Washburn
5.    Central Missouri
6.    Arkansas-Fort Smith
7.    Central Oklahoma
8.    Henderson State, Ark.
9.    Nebraska-Kearney (Auto bid from MIAA)
10.    Harding, Ark.
11.    Minnesota State
12.    Northwest Missouri
13.    Missouri Western
14.    Wayne State (Auto bid from NSIC)
15.    Missouri Southern State
16.    Winona State
17.    Concordia-St. Paul
18.    Augustana

Individuals
1.    Morgan Simmons, Oklahoma Baptist
2.    Jessica Parker, Northeastern State
3.    Carley Button, Southeastern Oklahoma State
4.     Haley Whittern, Southern Nazarene
5.    Brianna Chamoun, Southern Arkansas
6.    Gracie Doke, Northwestern Oklahoma State

Loper Women's Golf at NCAA Regionals (format has changed several times)

Year        Name	Finish/Score
2025       Team	9th of 18 (888/303-286-299)
2024       Juliana Botero Molina	18th (230/76-77-76)
2023       Team	3rd of 9 (898/289-298-299): NCAA Champ. qualifier
2022       Team	7th of 9 (943/318-310-315)
2019       Team	10th of 12 (956/318-312-326)
2018       Team	T-11th of 12 (952/327-314-311)
2017       Team	11th of 12 (983/334-330-319)
2015       Ana Summers	T-22nd (246/77-82-87)
2013       Ana Summers	T-28th (252/86-84-82)
2010       Sara Wissing	5th (238/80-76-82)
2009       Sara Wissing	17th (246/88-79-79)