Michigan State women's golf holds serve at home, earns another trip to NCAA finals

The Michigan State women's golf team has held serve at home.

The Spartans bounced back from a lackluster first day of the NCAA regional in East Lansing to finish in third place among the 12 teams, earning their ticket to the NCAA Championships later this month.

Michigan State shot 3 under as a team at Forest Akers West Golf Course on Wednesday, to finish 4 under for the 54 holes, a shot behind Oklahoma State. Top-seeded Southern California won the regional by four strokes, at 9 under. Northwestern finished fourth at 3 under and Pepperdine was fifth at 1 under, to earn the final spot into the finals.

Those were the only five teams to finish the three rounds under par.

Michigan State was paced by senior Leila Raines, who shot a 3-under 69 on Wednesday to finish 6 under for the regional. She took fourth place overall. Junior Katie Lu finished 14th overall, at even par, after a final-round 71. Sophomore Paula Balanzategui at junior Brooke Biermann tied for 20th, finishing at 3 over.

Michigan State was in the sixth place after Round 1, and fourth place after Round 2.

The regional was won by Notre Dame's Lauren Beaudreau, who was competing as an individual and finished 12 under after a final-round 67. She won by three strokes over Southern California's Bailey Shoemaker, who was 9 under after opening the regional with a course-record 7-under 65.

Oakland, the Horizon League champion, finished 35 over and in 11th place in the East Lansing regional, as its season comes to an end. The Golden Grizzlies were led by freshman Hannah Kono, who tied for 43rd at 9 over.

At the Auburn, Alabama, regional, Michigan finished in ninth place out of the 12 teams, missing the cut for the NCAA Championships. Michigan senior Monet Chun and sophomore Lauren Sung tied for 30th, at 13 over.

The NCAA championships will be May 17-21 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California. Michigan State is in the finals for the second straight year, and the third time in four years. It's the Spartans' 13th trip to the NCAA championships under head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, who took the job in 1997.

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