PROVO, Utah – The BYU women's golf team finished the 2017-18 season with its third consecutive West Coast Conference Championship title while Rose Huang placed top 25 at the NCAA Championships.
"The women showed a lot of growth and toughness this year and it’s something we can build on for the next year," said head coach Carrie Roberts. "I'm super proud of Rose Huang and how she performed at the end of the year. To win in such a dominating fashion was so impressive. Watching her qualify and then hold her own at nationals was fun to witness. She crowned off the year in a positive way."
The BYU’s women’s golf team clinched its third straight WCC title after a playoff with Pepperdine. Both teams finished with a 54-hole score of 295 (+36). The Cougars edged the Waves in a one-hole playoff shooting +2 while Pepperdine shot +3. Head Coach Carrie Roberts picked up her third-straight WCC Coach of the Year citation.
Junior Rose Huang represented BYU at NCAA Championships, finishing tied for 21st shooting a one-over-par 292 in four rounds. At the NCAA Austin Regional, Huang finished tied for fourth shooting a 212 (-4). After a three-way five-hole playoff, she advanced to the NCAA Championship.
Huang led the Cougars in to their third WCC title taking first place shooting a two-under-par 214. The junior finished seven strokes ahead of teammate Kendra Dalton who tied for second. Huang was one of three BYU players named to the All-WCC First Team. Throughout the season, Huang recorded six top ten finishes, and matched her career-low 67 in the third round of the Coeur d’Alene Resort Invitational.
Two-time WCC Player of the Year, Kendra Dalton finished tied for second at the WCC Championships carding a 221 (+5). Dalton finished her BYU career tying for 16th at the NCAA Austin Regional shooting a one-under 201. The senior had four top 5 finishes on the season, including a first-place finish at the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational where she shot a season low of 66 in the second round. Dalton was also named to the All-WCC First Team and the All-Academic team.
Fellow senior Annie Yang finished her BYU career recording a season-best 17th place at the WCC championships. Yang also recorded her BYU career-low of 71 in the first round at the Mercedes Benz Collegiate.
Up-and-coming freshman Naomi Soifua had a solid start to her BYU career being named WCC Freshman of the Year. Soifua finishing in the top 20 six times and tied for fifth at the Entrada Classic (216, E). The Utah native was also named to the All-WCC First Team.
Sophomore Anna Kennedy recorded her best finish tied for 12th at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Collegiate, where she shot a season-low 68 in the second round.
The Cougars will lose seniors Dalton and Yang but expect the return of Huang, Soifua and Kennedy.