NKU’s Kim Keyer-Scott

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - After a solid spring season, the Northern Kentucky University women’s golf team is ready to begin its quest for an appearance in the NCAA national finals. But, they will have to make it out of the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament to move on, and that will be a challenge.

NKU begins play on Monday at the NCAA II East Region Tournament in Allendale, Mich. The top two teams in the NCAA Division II East Region Tournament will advance to the national finals.

NKU head coach Daryl Landrum believes that the regional tournament will come down to three teams: NKU, Grand Valley State and Ferris State.

“All three teams are rated in the top 10, and Grand Valley has home-course advantage,” Landrum said.

NKU, which is ranked No. 9 nationally in the Division II poll, faced Grand Valley State twice during the spring season, and Grand Valley State finished ahead of the Norse in both tournaments. The Lakers finished fourth at the Tusculum College/Kiawah Island Women’s Intercollegiate, while the Norse came in 11 strokes behind in fifth place. The Norse finished fourth at the NKU Spring Invitational behind Grand Valley State, which won the event.

The Norse will enter the tournament on a high note after winning the last three tournaments in which they competed. NKU earned its first win of the spring season at the Bellarmine Women’s Invitational in Louisville, Ky. The team was led by three-time All-American Kim Keyer-Scott, who finished first with a score of 78. Alicia Lawrence finished three strokes behind Keyer-Scott and tied for third place.

NKU followed that up with a victory at the UC/UD Women’s Collegiate Invitational, in which Bianca Hutton captured her first collegiate win with a score of 155. Keyer-Scott (fourth place) and Lawrence (fifth place) also finished in the top 10 for NKU.

Lawrence followed in Hutton’s footsteps in the Krumpelman Cup at Eagle Creek. She led NKU by earning her first collegiate victory as the Norse went on to defeat Dayton. NKU is hoping to carry over the momentum into the regional tournament and come away with its fourth straight victory.

“I think they are just starting to peak. This is without a doubt one of the best teams I have ever had at NKU,” Landrum said. “Now we just have to go out and prove it.”