From left: Coach Jim McGrew, Erika Wardziski, Carly Shane, Caroline Griffin, Rachel Rebne, AD Derek Waugh, Julia McQuilken, Haejin Choe, Katie Dalton, Ashley McDonald, and Coach Marsha Whitener.
The No. 3 ranked Dalton State Roadrunners were named Thursday as one of three teams from the Southern States Athletic Conference to compete in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women’s Golf Championship on May 17-21.
Savannah Quarters Country Club in the Savannah suburb of Pooler will again host the tournament. There are 19 automatic bids and nine at-large. In addition, nine individuals received bids to make a total of 144 golfers competing in the NAIA championship.
William Carey had received the automatic bid for the conference by virtue of their SSAC Tournament win last month at Montgomery Golf and Country Club.
Coastal Georgia will join the Roadrunners and the Crusaders in the NAIA Championship. Heather Nail of Mobile is an individual qualifier.
“We are excited about getting to go to Savannah and compete for the national championship,” said DS Coach Jim McGrew. “Even though we did not win our conference our body of work through the year allowed us to have the luxury of knowing that we would have this opportunity. We feel like we are one of the top teams in the country based on what we have done on the course against top teams, going 15-2-1 against top ten teams this year. The girls are finished with finals and are now focused on getting ready to compete. I am glad they will have that opportunity.”
The Roadrunners were part of a three-way tie for second in the 2015 NAIA Women’s Golf Championship, which was also held at the Savannah Quarters Country Club course.