YPSILANTI, Mich. — On Thursday, the No. 20 Milligan University women's golf team continued play at Eagle Crest Golf Club for the second round of the NAIA National Championships. The Buffs entered the day tied for seventh on the leaderboard with the tournament cut looming at the end of the round. Milligan battled increasingly windy conditions as they fought to maintain their position in a tightly contested field. Ultimately, the Buffs posted a second-round score of 322, qualifying for a championship round tee time on Friday, May 22. Milligan currently sits at +57 in T-13^th place on the team leaderboard, trailing the top 10 by just two strokes. Catalina Easley and Mallory TeVrucht led the way, both turning in strong performances to card matching rounds of six-over-par 78.

Easley picked up right where she left off in round one, opening her day with a birdie on the par-four first, which ranks as the seventh-hardest hole on the course. She kept her name near the top of the leaderboard by stringing together five consecutive pars before a bogey on the seventh brought her back to even par, where she stood as she made the turn. On the back nine, Easley battled through a difficult stretch before answering with a birdie on the 15th to keep her round moving in the right direction. She closed her day with back-to-back pars before a bogey on the 18th left her with a six-over-par 78, securing another sub-80 round.

TeVrucht's consistent swing helped keep Milligan ahead of the cut line. She played holes four through nine identically to her first round, carding a combined two-over par through that stretch before making the turn at three-over 39. On the back nine, TeVrucht steadied herself with back-to-back pars on the 10th and 11th, then bounced back with a birdie on the 14th. She went on to card five more pars to post another 39 on the back nine, finishing with a six-over-par 78 on the day.

Bailey McGaha jump-started her front nine with two birdies over the first five holes. Her first birdie came on the second hole, one of the most demanding on the course, tied for the hardest hole on the layout with a field average of +0.88 over par. By the turn, McGaha had climbed 22 places on the leaderboard, making the turn at even-par 36. She carried that momentum to the back nine, opening with a par on the 10th before hitting a challenging stretch from holes 11 through 13 where she dropped a few strokes. McGaha recovered to par the 14th and 17th, finishing the back nine with an eight-over-par 44 for a round total of 80.

Madison Butler navigated a challenging front nine before steadying on the back side. She opened the inward nine with back-to-back pars on the 10th and 11th and highlighted her round with a birdie on the 16th, finishing at 14-over par for a round total of 86.

Christa Woodard highlighted her front nine with a birdie on the eighth hole before making the turn at four-over 40, finishing the day at 14-over par for a round total of 86.

After securing a spot in the top 15 on the national stage, the Buffs will look to climb the leaderboard when championship round tee times get underway Friday, May 22 at Eagle Crest Golf Club. With momentum building and the full roster having navigated the cut, Milligan enters the final round with plenty to look forward to.

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