The Northwest Mississippi Community College women’s golf team remained in the top 10 after completing the third day of the NJCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championship in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, according to the school. The team kept two players in contention for individual top-10 finishes.
Head coach Adam Payne said the team performed well despite fatigue and nerves from playing four days in a row, including a practice round. “You could tell it was the fourth day in a row that we’ve played, so I thought for the most part we did well,” Payne stated.
Freshman Analeigh Little posted her best round of the tournament, shooting a 39 on the front nine with a notable 40-foot putt for birdie on the sixth hole. She finished the day tied for 22nd, climbing 11 spots from her previous position. “I definitely struck the ball better, but I couldn’t score how I wanted to,” Little said. “This is the longest tournament I’ve played, and I kind of came in today thinking about it as a whole new tournament, and that helped.”
Bella McNeil also performed well, shooting her second 84 of the tournament after starting with double bogeys on her first two holes. She played the final 16 holes eight-over par, remaining in the hunt for a top-10 finish in her first national appearance.
Meanwhile, sophomore Zae’Ja Davis moved up to 55th in the standings after posting her second 90. She started strong, going one-over on the first three holes, but finished the day with two triple bogeys and two double bogeys, preventing her from breaking 90 for the first time in her collegiate career. Madison Baker struggled, shooting a 107 with no pars and eight bogeys. First-time competitor Addison Forbes also finished with a 107 after substituting for Sarah Niblett, who withdrew due to injury.
The Rangers are scheduled to play the final round Friday morning, beginning at 9:12 a.m. with Forbes teeing off. Payne expressed optimism about improving their position, saying, “Hopefully tomorrow we can play a little bit better and move up the leaderboard.” He praised the team’s improvement over the season and encouraged them to enjoy the experience. Northwest enters the final day in 10th place, with potential to climb higher.
Follow updates on the team at nwccrangers.com or through Northwest’s social media channels.
