Five years ago, Gabrielle Shipley capped off her high school golf career by winning a state title in Michigan.

On Saturday, she finished off her college golf career by claiming an individual national championship.

It was a nice bit of symmetry.

The Grand Valley State (Mich.) senior pulled off her college career dream by prevailing by one stroke in Saturday’s Women’s NCAA Division II Finals at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

And she did it in style by making a 6-foot putt for birdie on her final hole as a collegian.

“I’m so excited,” she said after her one-shot victory over fellow senior Kasey Petty of Findlay (Ohio). “But I don’t know if it’s sunk in yet. I think everybody knew except me that I had to make that (final) birdie putt. I didn’t know what it was for — for my low score (ever in a college tournament) and to win it. When everyone cheered that was reassuring. I had yet to break 70 in a college tournament, so that was a goal. (Winning) was also a goal, since my freshman year. I’m so happy that I did it.”

Shipley, who has finished in the top five individually in every tournament but one this season, closed with a 3-under-par 69 to go 73-70-70-69 for a 6-under-par 282 total for the week. She made four birdies in a five-hole stretch on the front nine — draining a 50-foot double-breaker on No. 4 — then played her final four holes in 2 under par. The result was the top golf accomplishment of her young career.

“I just wanted to commit to every shot today, commit to no regrets and to just play my own game. And I did that,” she said.

But as far knowing how she stood relative to her competition, she had no interest in that.

“I had no idea where I was standing coming into the last day,” she said. “I haven’t looked at a scoreboard yet. I don’t like thinking numbers, I don’t like knowing anything because it’s just me playing the golf course. That’s all I want to focus on. I kind of knew my score, but the two bogeys (on 12 and 13) threw my brain off. I think that was kind of a blessing because I had no idea what that last birdie putt was for.”

The result was Shipley’s 11th individual victory over her college career.

Petty, who has five individual wins to her credit, bolted out to an early lead on Saturday thanks to two birdies and an eagle in her first six holes. But an eight-hole stretch in the middle of the round in which she was 3 over par cost her. A birdie on her 16th hole tied her with Shipley before the Grand Valley State golfer closed with the birdie. Petty posted a 70 and a 283 total.

Senior Isabel Jimenez Perea of Tarleton State was the only other golfer to finish under par for the week as she shot 72 Saturday and placed third at 285.

In the team competition, Rollins College (Fla.; left) earned its record sixth NCAA DII national championship in women’s golf, though the first since 2008. The Tars held or shared the lead from the end of the first round on and their 21-over-par 1,173 total was nine better than 2015 champion Indianapolis. Nova Southeastern was third at 1,183.

The title ended the careers of Rollins seniors Hally Leadbetter and Annie Dulman. They teamed with sophomores Lexi Toth and Madison Lellyo, and junior Paige Lyle. Individually, Toth placed fourth on Saturday, Dulman ninth, Leadbetter 15th, Lyle 20th and Lellyo 53rd.

Leadbetter, the daughter of world-renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter, led after 36 holes, but went 74-82 the last two days.

“The whole tournament was a team effort,” said Hally Leadbetter, who plans to go to Ladies European Tour Q-school next winter. “I was pleased I did my part the first two days. Today I obviously did my best but it wasn’t a great day (personally). That happens. But I’m so so happy that me and Annie, our other senior, could finish (with a title) because last year we lost to Indianapolis. This was now or nothing, so let’s get it done. That was really great.

“We gave it our shot with no regrets. You can’t have fear out there. We gave it our all. Thankfully it was enough.”

David Leadbetter followed his daughter all four rounds at CommonGround. (The Leadbetters are pictured at left.)

“It’s important to be out here for the last (college) tournament,” he said afterward.

The women’s tourney — and the men’s DII finals at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — were part of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in which titles in six sports (M&W golf, M&W tennis, softball and women’s lacrosse) were decided.

For scores from the women’s tournament at CommonGround, CLICK HERE.
 

The three co-leaders going into the final round of the Women’s NCAA Division II Finals have a combined 27 individual college titles to their credit, but they’d probably trade them all for a victory Saturday at CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora.

The three seniors — Isabel Jimenez Perea of Tarleton State (Texas), Gabrielle Shipley (left) of Grand Valley State (Michigan) and Kasey Petty of Findlay (Ohio) — all will wrap up their college careers on Saturday and a DII national title will be on the line.

“It feels awesome,” said Petty, winner of five college events individually. “This is what I’ve been working for the last two or three years. I can’t believe it, but I’m just going to go out there tomorrow and do what I can. No pressure. It’s my last tournament ever. I’m just excited to be here and excited to be where I’m at right now.”

Perea, who’s claimed a dozen individual championships as a collegian, and Petty matched 3-under-par 69s on Friday to come in at 3-under 213 overall. Also at that figure is 10-time college winner Shipley, who carded a third-round 70.

The co-leaders are three of the five players who are under par through three days. Joining them are second-round leader Hally Leadbetter of Rollins College (Fla.) (215 after a 74 Friday) and Marisa Toivonen of Augustana (S.D.) (215 following a 72). Leadbetter’s dad, world-renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter (left), followed his daughter throughout Friday’s round.

Fifth-year senior Hally Leadbetter, like Perea a left-hander, is setting the pace for Rollins, which stands at 7-over-par 871 and leads the team competition by seven over defending champion Indianapolis. Rollins, last year’s runner-up, has won a record five national titles in women’s golf, but none since 2008.

The two sub-par team scores on Friday came from Grand Valley State (a school record 4-under 284) and Tarleton State (285), who are being led by Shipley and Perea, respectively. Tarleton stands in fourth place overall (886) and Grand Valley (890) is sixth.

“It’s been my goal since I came here freshman year (to win a national title) both individually and as a team,” said Shipley, a former Michigan state high school champion who has finished in the top five individually in every tournament but one this season. “Today was a really good day for us — we set a school record (for single-round scoring) and we were under par as a team. That was awesome.”

Perea (left), a Spaniard, is the No. 2-ranked Division II player in the nation (behind Dallas Baptist’s Ann Parmerter, who is in seventh place at 218). Perea chalked up five birdies on Friday and had eight “3s” on her card.

“It would be pretty awesome” to claim a national title on Saturday, she said.

The women’s tourney — and the men’s DII finals at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — are part of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in which titles in six sports (M&W golf, M&W tennis, softball and women’s lacrosse) will be decided.

Tickets for the DII National Festival are $5 per person per day, or $15 for an all-session pass for the week. Tickets purchased at one site will be valid at all other competition sites.

For more information on the Spring Sports Festival, CLICK HERE.
 

For scores from the women’s tournament, CLICK HERE.

Leadbetter is the daughter of David Leadbetter, one of the top golf instructors in the world and the name behind the David Leadbetter Golf Academies. David Leadbetter works with, among others, women’s world No. 1 Lydia Ko and Michelle Wie.

On Thursday, Hally certainly lived up to her name by shooting her low round of season — by two strokes — a 3-under-par 69, to give the left-hander a two-stroke lead at the halfway point of the national championship.

Leadbetter, a fifth-year season at the Winter Park, Fla.-based Rollins College who transferred from the University of Arkansas, stands at 3-under-par 141 overall, two ahead of four players who share second place: teammate Paige Lyle, Daniela Martinez of Central Oklahoma, Marisa Toivonen of Augustana and Gabrielle Shipley of Grand Valley State.

On Thursday, Leadbetter’s bogey-free round featured three birdies.

Leadbetter, whose mother Kelly competed on the LPGA Tour, has six top-10 individual finishes to her credit this season, including a win in the season opener. She placed 34th in the NCAA DII Finals last year.

Leadbetter’s Rollins team, which is seeking its sixth national championship in women’s golf, holds an eight-stroke lead at CommonGround with two rounds left. Rollins stands at 2-over-par 578, with defending champion Indianapolis second at 586.

The women’s tourney — and the men’s DII finals at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — are part of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in which titles in six sports (M&W golf, M&W tennis, softball and women’s lacrosse) will be decided.

Tickets for the DII National Festival are $5 per person per day, or $15 for an all-session pass for the week. Tickets purchased at one site will be valid at all other competition sites.

For more information on the Spring Sports Festival, CLICK HERE.
 

For scores from the women’s tournament, CLICK HERE.
 

Mailen Domecq Chantry had an outstanding freshman season at Nova Southeastern, with two victories to her credit and a fifth-place showing in the 2015 Women’s NCAA Division II Finals.

But the Argentine’s second year at the Florida school … let’s just say she’s experienced a bit of a sophomore slump. She has just one finish in the top 20 (a 10th-place showing) and owns a 78.4 stroke average, the highest on her team.

But on Wednesday, in the most important tournament of the season, Chantry found her peak form. In the opening round of the NCAA DII Finals at CommonGround Golf Course, she grabbed the lead with a 3-under-par 69 — her best score of the season by three shots.

“I didn’t play that good this season actually,” she said after her round. “The freshman year was much better than the sophomore, so hopefully I can finish strong this year. It’s golf. It comes and goes. Hopefully it comes again.”

While there’s still three rounds remaining, suffice it to say Chantry is off to a near-ideal start. She was one of just five players who broke par at CommonGround on Wednesday.

Chantry (pictured above) holds a one-stroke advantage over freshman Brinn Fariss of Dallas Baptist and Augustana (South Dakota’s) Marisa Toivonen, who posted 70s. Vilde Eriksen of Saint Leo and Lexie Toth of Rollins College carded 71s.

Team-wise, five-time national champion and top-ranked Rollins and fellow Florida school Nova Southeastern (a four-time champ) share the lead at 2-over-par 290, with Dallas Baptist three back.

Chantry used a 60-foot birdie on the first hole (her 10th) as a spark to shoot a 4-under-par 32 on her final nine holes.

“It was a pretty nice day,” she said. “I holed very good putts and I feel very comfortable on the course, so I enjoyed it a lot.

“I’m from Argentina, and the courses are like this. (CommonGround is) pretty similar to where I live. I’m used to these kind of courses, and it’s in amazing shape.”

Now, if she can just keep the good vibe going for three more rounds.

“We have three more days, so day by day, shot by shot, try to do my best, and let’s see what happens,” she said.

Toivonen and Fariss (left) likewise finished strong on Wednesday. Toivonen made three of her six birdies in the last four holes. And Fariss rallied after being 2 over through four holes to play her final 13 holes in 4 under. That stretch included a 30-foot chip-in for birdie at No. 18.

“Personally I haven’t played very good these last two semsters, but it’s starting to come together now,” Fariss said. “I came out here pretty prepared to play and I’ve been playing good in practice. So I expected to play pretty well.”

The women’s tourney — and the men’s DII finals at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club — are part of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in which titles in six sports (M&W golf, M&W tennis, softball and women’s lacrosse) will be decided.

Tickets for the DII National Festival are $5 per person per day, or $15 for an all-session pass for the week. Tickets purchased at one site will be valid at all other competition sites.

For more information on the Spring Sports Festival, CLICK HERE.
 

For scores from the women’s tournament, CLICK HERE.

Yes, it was that long ago — the spring of 1969, to be exact.

But next week that will change, and in a big way. Not one, but two NCAA Championship Finals tournaments will be held in the Denver metro area as both the men’s and women’s Division II events come to town.

The DII men will compete May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, home of the CoBank Colorado Open Championships. And the DII women will be at CommonGround Golf Course, which is owned and operated by the CGA, from May 18-21.

An NCAA golf final was last held in Colorado in 1969 when The Broadmoor hosted the Division I men for the fifth time in 17 years. The finals for the Division I women, or the tournaments for either gender in Division II or III have never before come to Colorado, though there have been various NCAA Regionals.

Next week’s national tournaments, part of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival in which titles in six sports (M&W golf, M&W tennis, softball and women’s lacrosse) will be at stake, will be hosted by Metro State and the Denver Sports Commission.

The men’s NCAA DII finals at Green Valley Ranch May 17-21 will feature 108 competitors — 20 teams and eight individuals. The format will be three rounds of stroke play, followed by two days of medal-match play. The individual champion will be determined after the first three rounds. The top eight teams after 54 holes of stroke play will advance to the medal-match play portion of the championship. The men’s DII finals have utilized a medal-match play format since 2011.

The women’s Division II finals at CommonGround May 18-21 will include a field of 72 golfers — 12 teams and 12 individuals. They’ll all play 72 holes of stroke play.

Tickets for the DII National Festival will be $5 per person per day, or $15 for an all-session pass for the week. Tickets purchased at one site will be valid at all other competition sites.

For more information on the Spring Sports Festival, CLICK HERE.

Though no one from Colorado schools qualified for the NCAA DII finals — the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs’ Colin Prater was the closest, losing out in a playoff at the DII regionals — the fields will be formidable, though the players may not be as recognizable as the top Division I college golfers.

Men’s Finals at GVR

But keep in mind that individual winners of the men’s DII national title have included two-time U.S. Open champion Lee Janzen (1986, from Florida Southern), CBS analyst Gary McCord (1970, from Cal-Riverside), Briny Baird (1994 and ’95, from Valdosta State) and four-time European Tour winner Jeev Milkha Singh (1993, from Abilene Christian).

More close to home, Cheyenne, Wyo., product Josh Creel won the 2012 title, playing for Central Oklahoma after transferring from the University of Colorado.

While 2015 champion Nova Southeastern won’t be back to defend its team title — nor will individual champ Sam Migdal, who was a senior at Central Missouri last year — the top three ranked teams (according to Golfstat) at GVR will be No. 1 Chico State (Calif.), No. 2 Saint Leo University (Fla.) and No. 3 Lynn University (Fla.).

John Coultas, a sophomore at Florida Southern, is the top-ranked Division II player in the nation, according to Golfstat.

Here are the team and individual qualifiers for the DII men finals at GVR:

Teams
St. Thomas Aquinas
Southern New Hampshire
Concordia (New York)
Wilmington (Delaware)
Le Moyne
Central Missouri
Southeastern Oklahoma State
Bellarmine
Tiffin
Central Oklahoma
Lynn
Saint Leo
Florida Southern
West Florida
Barry
Chico State
Oklahoma Christian
Dallas Baptist
California Baptist
Brigham Young-Hawaii

Individuals
Blaze Hogan, Mercyhurst
Tyler Maiman, West Chester
Talon Supak, Illinois-Springfield
Bryce Burke, Arkansas Tech
Richard Mansell, Nova Southeastern
Griffin Brown, Limestone
Brandon Lee, Sonoma State
Calum Hill, Western New Mexico

Women’s Finals at CommonGround

At the women’s DII finals at CommonGround, Indianapolis will be back to defend its team title. Also in the field will be five-time national champ Rollins College (Fla.) and four-time winner Nova Southeastern (Fla.). Rollins is the top ranked women’s team in DII, according to Golfstat. Nova Southeastern is fourth and Indianapolis 10th.

No former individual national champions are in the women’s field at CommonGround. Here are the team and individual qualifiers for the DII women’s finals:

Teams
Augustana (South Dakota)
Northeastern State
Missouri Western State
Indianapolis
Grand Valley State
Findlay
Nova Southeastern
Rollins
Saint Leo
Tarleton State
Dallas Baptist
West Texas A&M

Individuals
Daniela Martinez, Central Oklahoma
Caroline Fredensborg, Arkansas Tech
Rachel Gray, Concordia-St. Paul
Ali Green, Ashland
Kasey Frazier, Wheeling Jesuit
Anastasia Carter, Southern Indiana
Felicia Leftinger, Florida Tech
Paloma Vaccaro, West Florida
Elaine Wood, Montevallo
Erica Wang, California Baptist
Audrey Meisch, Oklahoma Christian
Sterling Hawkins, Academy of Art