Michigan State women's golf hosting NCAA regional, with Oakland in field; UM heads south

Michigan State's women's golf team will feel right at home in this week's NCAA regional.

The Spartans are hosting the 12-team regional at Forest Akers West in East Lansing, Monday through Wednesday, and looking to advance to the NCAA finals for the second straight year and third time in the last four years.

Michigan State also is rolling with the same golfers who won their regional in 2023.

"It's that confidence knowing that we did it last year, we can do it again this year," Michigan State head coach Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll said last month, when the NCAA Division I field was announced. "They are better, they are more mature, they have grown over the last year."

Michigan State is the No. 5 seed in the East Lansing regional, which features, in seeding order, Southern California, Northwestern, Florida, Pepperdine, Kentucky, Denver, Oklahoma State, Indiana, Augusta, Illinois State and Oakland. The regional also will include six individual players, whose teams didn't qualify.

The top five times and top six individuals not on qualifying teams will advance to the NCAA finals, set for May 17-21 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.

The Spartans are playing in their eight consecutive regional, and 24th since 1999. Michigan State will be led by junior Katie Lu, whose 71.13 scoring average this season is the second-best in program history. She was named first-team all-Big Ten. Junior Brooke Biermann, third in program history with a 73.25 scoring average, was medalist at the regional last year. Seniors Leila Raines and Valentina Rossi also are in the mix, as are sophomore Shannon Kennedy (Bloomfield Hills) and freshman Paula Balanzategui.

Oakland is making its third trip to the NCAAs in program history, after winning the Horizon League tournament by 24 strokes. Oakland is led by sophomore Bridget Boczar (Canton), who was medalist at the Horizon League tournament, and fellow top-10 finishers Nateda Her (Lansing), a junior, and freshman Hannah Kono.

Oakland is coached by former Michigan State star Sarah Burnham. Florida coach Emily (Bastel) Glaser also played under Slobodnik-Stoll at MSU.

MSU tees off at 9 a.m. Monday, and Oakland at 10:05 a.m. Forest Akers West will play 6,370 yards, to a par 72.

The Michigan women's golf team, meanwhile, will head south for its regional, playing at Auburn from Monday through Wednesday, at the 6,456-yard, par-72 Auburn University Club. Michigan is the No. 6 seed in the regional, and will be led by senior Monet Chun, fifth-year senior Hailey Borja, sophomore Lauren Sung, freshman Sidney Yermish and sophomore Mara Janess, with sophomore Sydney Sung traveling as the emergency sixth player. The format calls for each team to play five players, counting the top four scores.

Chun is Michigan's leader, having won her last two tournaments, including finishing as tri-medalist at the Big Ten championships. She had a 71.48 scoring average, and was the Big Ten women's golfer of the year. Borja received second-team all-Big Ten honors.

The Wolverines are looking to make the NCAA finals for the first time since 2022.

There are six NCAA women's golf regional sites.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

@tonypaul1984