Leina headed to NCAA II regionals

Three-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Golfer of the Year Leina Kim earned a spot in this year’s NCAA Division II Women’s Golf West Super Regional Tournament set from May 4 to 6 at the Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park, California.

Leina Kim will try to earn a spot in this year’s NCAA Division II National Championship when she competes in next week’s Women’s Golf Super Regional Tournament at the Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park, California.
(CSU-Pueblo)

Kim, according to the CSU Pueblo golf website, was selected for the third straight year after also representing the Lady ThunderWolves in her freshman year in 2013 where she ended up tied for third.

Her third place finish earned her a spot on the Division II National Championships where she came in at 28th. She could have earned a second-straight appearance last season, but wasted her chance and opening-day lead after signing an incorrect scorecard.

“I got disqualified because I signed an incorrect scorecard. Don’t ever make that kind of mistake,” said the 23-year-old with a laugh in an interview with CSU-Pueblo. “I tell my entire team to make sure to look at their scorecards at least twice.”

Kim, who was named the RMAC tournament most valuable player and joined teammate Julie Sanchez in the RMAC All-Tournament team, will be the lone golfer that will represent the conference in the three-day, 54-hole tournament.

The Top 3 finishers in the regional tournament would earn a spot to the Nationals set from May 13 to 16 at the Meadows Golf Course to be hosted by Grand Valley State in Allendale, Michigan.

Kim, chosen as the 2015 CSU-Pueblo Female Athlete of the Year, topped five of the eight RMAC tournaments this season, and placed second, third, and 10th in the other three.

The five-time RMAC Golfer of the Week fired a record 9-under 135 to clinch the RMAC Championship, her first conference title. The former CNMI junior golfer shot a 6-under 66 in the final day to break her own single-round record of 5-under 67 in the Mustang Women’s Fall Intercollegiate in September last year.

Her 135 tally at Coldwater was two strokes behind the 133 for all tournaments she posted in the Western New Mexico University-sponsored event but still a RMAC tournament record.

Kim missed the chance of clinching the RMAC Championship title twice, by one shot last year and two shots in 2013.

“But I finally got it. It was nerve wracking at first, because I know that they are amazing players but I just kept my head in the game and continued playing,” said Kim, who tried to stay calm in the last five holes of the final day.

“I can’t get too excited because there are so many holes that are still left and I just tried to stay calm and sang a song inside my head,” she added with a laugh.

Kim is the current national leader in terms of scoring average with 72.25 leading Oklahoma Christian’s Anna Arrese Cortadellas by 1.33 strokes per round.

She ranks 14th overall in scoring average among all collegiate golfers in the NCAA Division I, II, and III, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the National Junior College Athletic Association.