YPSILANTI, Mich. — No. 20 Milligan University's women's golf team closed out its season in round three of the NAIA National Championships at Eagle Crest Golf Club. Due to inclement weather during the opening round, the originally scheduled four-round, 72-hole format was restructured to a three-round, 54-hole format. The Buffs started the tournament strong on day one and battled to make the cut through day two, finishing among the top 20 teams in the NAIA. In the championship round, the Buffs posted a total stroke count of 335 after rounds of 311 and 322 to finish 16th on the final leaderboard. Senior Mallory TeVrucht's consistency on the course led to a T-29th individual finish to pace the Buffs.

Head Coach Tony Wallingford was proud of what his group accomplished. "Really proud of these girls. They overachieved all year after significant losses in our lineup from the previous year. They worked hard and climbed to No. 19 (Scoreboard/Clippd) in the final poll to get the bid to nationals."

TeVrucht navigated a challenging final test of her collegiate career, carding higher than bogey just twice across three rounds. Her reliable ball striking kept her name in contention all three days. In the championship round, she found a groove beginning on No. 10, rattling off six pars on the opening nine to make the turn at three-over-par 39. A five-over-par 41 on the back nine gave her an eight-over-par 80 for the round.

Catalina Easley surged near the top of the leaderboard in the opening rounds, posting scores of 75 and 78 coming into the closing round. Her smooth tempo, paired with well-timed aggressiveness, produced five birdies throughout the tournament. In the final round, she opened with a seven-over-par 43 on the front nine before carding a four-over-par 40 on the back to finish with an 83 and place T-36th.

Bailey McGaha made a move up the leaderboard on the final day, opening on No. 10 and picking up a birdie on the par-3 14th to make the turn at four-over-par 40. She added another birdie on the par-3 sixth on the closing nine, tying Easley for the team high with five birdies across the three-round tournament. She capped her round with a 43 for an overall 83, moving up seven places to 66th.

Madison Butler contributed to the Buffs' team effort, carding a 44 on the opening nine and a 45 on the inward nine for an overall 89, placing 82nd individually.

Christa Woodard, competing as an individual, closed out her collegiate career on the course in the championship round, carding a 47 on the opening nine before settling in with a 43 on the back for a 90 on the day. Woodard's steadier back nine was a strong note to end on as she wrapped up her senior season on the national stage.

The 16th-place finish brought Milligan's season to a close. In a year that produced two tournament victories, the Agnes McAmis Memorial Tournament and the Northeast Tennessee Spring Shootout, the Buffs climbed as high as No. 20 in the national rankings. In the final stretch, they placed third at the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship and made the cut at the NAIA National Championships for the sixth consecutive year, improving to a top-20 finish in the nation. Wallingford summed it up stating: "Making the cut and playing in the final round was a great achievement. Excited for them and looking forward to next year."

Click HERE for the full tournament results