TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Murray State College women's golf team competed in the NJCAA Division II National Championship against the top junior college teams from all over the United States the last few days. The Lady Aggies put together a tremendous four days and played their best golf on the final day to secure a second-place finish. This is the team's best finish at a National Tournament in the history of the women's golf program.

The Lady Aggies finished the tournament at +133, posting team rounds of 321, 325, 325, and a final-round 314 to secure national runner-up honors. Murray State finished ahead of third-place Wallace State (+164) and trailed only national champion Shelton State (+121).
 
Murray State closed the tournament with its best round of the week on the final day, carding a +26 team score to separate itself from the rest of the field and lock in second place nationally.
 
Leading the way for the Lady Aggies was Amiya Raja, who earned a fifth-place individual finish with a four-round score of +26. Raja opened the tournament with Murray State's best individual round of the week at +1 and remained inside the top five throughout the championship.
 
Paula Gorostiaga also delivered a strong performance for the Lady Aggies, tying for sixth overall at +28. Gorostiaga finished the tournament with an impressive final-round +3, one of the best rounds in the field on the final day.
 
Emma Hardison added a top-15 finish for Murray State, placing 15th overall at +40, while Enora Castillon tied for 21st at +47. Hana Cunnane rounded out the Lady Aggies' scoring group with a tie for 24th finish at +48.
 
The national runner-up finish caps off the most successful season in program history for Murray State as the Lady Aggies placed three golfers inside the top 15 individually while competing against the nation's top NJCAA Division II programs. Amiya Raja and Paula Gorostiaga earned First-Team All-American honors, while Emma Hardison earned honorable mention All-American recognition.
 
Coach Coppedge stated, "I'm incredibly excited about this team and everything they've overcome. Finishing as National Runner-Up is something to be extremely proud of. Competing against Shelton State on their home course and falling short by 12 shots is still something to hold our heads high about. We return four players from this team and are adding some outstanding freshmen. A special shoutout to Amiya Raja and Paula Gorostiaga on earning First Team All-American honors, and to Emma Hardison for her Honorable Mention All-American recognition. It was truly an exciting season for our women's team. We can't wait to have everyone back in August and begin the journey again."


Pictured above are Amiya Raja, Paula Gorostiaga, and Emma Hardison with the flags signifying their All-American status.

Sports Information Director: Justin Wagner | jgwagner@mscok.edu
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