INDIANAPOLIS (March 17, 2022) – Oklahoma Christian made a huge three-spot leap to No. 9 in the latest
NCAA Division II West Region ranking for women's golf, which was released Thursday.
The Eagles were at No. 12 in the initial region ranking, which came out on Feb. 10. Since then, OC has finished second in its first two tournaments of the spring season, the Diffie Ford-Lincoln Invitational in Oklahoma City and the Midwestern State Invitational in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Movement in the NCAA region rankings often is incremental, with teams advancing only one spot or two, if at all, from ranking to ranking. A three-spot jump is nearly unheard of.
One more set of regional rankings will be announced – on April 14 – before the NCAA will reveal the teams selected for Division II's four super regional tournaments on April 25. Twelve teams will be chosen to play in the West Super Regional, scheduled for May 2-4 at Brookside Country Club in Stockton, Calif.
Since becoming eligible for NCAA postseason events with the 2015-16 academic year, the Eagles have made the regional field three times (2016, 2019, 2021) and advanced in 2019 to the NCAA Division II Championship tournament.
OC is scheduled to play in three more tournaments before the next regional ranking is announced – the Kyle Blaser Invitational, hosted by NAIA power Oklahoma City University at Gaillardia Country Club in Oklahoma City on March 28-29; the RJGA Palm Valley Classic, hosted by Western New Mexico at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz., on April 1-2; and the Lone Star Conference Championship at Squaw Valley Golf Club in Glen Rose, Texas, on April 21-23.
The LSC dominated the current regional ranking, with Dallas Baptist (Texas) at No. 1, West Texas A&M at No. 2, Texas A&M International at No. 4, Texas A&M-Commerce at No. 6, St. Mary's (Texas) at No. 8, OC and Arkansas-Fort Smith at No. 11.
Other teams in the ranking were No. 3 California State-San Marcos, No. 5 Biola (Calif.), No. 7 Sonoma State (Calif.), No. 10 Colorado-Colorado Springs No. 12 California State-Monterey Bay, No. 13 Academy of Art (Calif.) and No. 14 California State-Los Angeles.
