Southern Miss Athletics

For the first time in program history, the University of Southern Mississippi women’s golf team is headed to the NCAA Regionals. The Golden Eagles will compete in the Norman Regional in Oklahoma from May 5–7.
The team secured its NCAA Regional bid after winning the Sun Belt Conference Championship last week, defeating Georgia Southern. The Golden Eagles were announced as the No. 12 seed during the NCAA Selection Show on April 23 and will compete alongside 11 other teams in Norman.
The Norman Regional is one of six NCAA women’s golf regional sites, each featuring 12 teams. Top-seeded Stanford will lead the field, joined by nationally ranked programs including Northwestern, North Carolina, Michigan State, Duke, Oklahoma, Baylor, Oregon State, Tulsa, Denver, and Furman.
“No matter the outcome, competing against the best will help our team learn and grow for the better,” junior Taylor Trible said. “Going to Regionals for the first time in school history just helps reflect how hard we all have worked. I am excited to be competing against Stanford. I’m excited to watch and learn how they play and act on the golf course.”
The Golden Eagles will travel on May 2 to begin preparations for three days of tournament play.
“There are a lot of good teams out there, but we don’t get overwhelmed by them,” said senior Momoka Ando. “We just do what we have to do, which is to stay present and focus on each shot.”
Ando qualified for the NCAA Regionals after capturing the individual conference title. The senior plans to turn professional following graduation.
“Going to Regionals for the first time as a senior is so exciting and special to me,” Ando said. “I’m grateful to be able to play and would like to enjoy the wonderful opportunity.”
With one week remaining before the competition, the team will focus on sharpening their skills and preparing mentally.
“We have nothing to lose, so having that mentality and enjoying playing with the best teams will help us give our best,” said junior Fernanda Gorostiaga. “We are ready to compete, and we’ll prepare mentally by focusing on our processes and things we can control.”