Bernat Earns Bid to NCAA Regional

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State junior women's golfer Carla Bernat was rewarded for her successful season as she earned an individual bid into the 2024 NCAA Bryan (Texas) Regional, the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Selection Committee announced Wednesday during the NCAA Women's Golf Selection Show on GOLF Channel.

Bernat was selected as the top-ranked individual to compete at Traditions Club, May 6-8. It is the sixth time a Wildcat individual will advance to an NCAA Regional and the second-straight season as Haley Vargas was selected last year. It marks the first time since 2015 and 2016 that the Wildcats had a member of the squad advance to postseason play in consecutive years. Others to advance were Christine Boucher in 2003, Madison Talley in both 2015 and 2016 and Connie Jaffrey in 2018.

"We are delighted for Carla to have an opportunity to compete at the NCAA Bryan Regional," first-year head coach Stew Burke said. "She has had a really impressive season with two individual wins, which is more than a lot of players have in their whole career. Although she will miss her teammates in Texas, we know the future of the program is extremely bright, and we look forward to returning the group to the postseason next year. However, for now our main focus will be putting a plan together for the Traditions Club and making it to the National Championship in California."

Bernat leads the team with a 70.40 scoring average, which also currently represents the top mark in school history. In her nine events this season, she has posted two victories and three other appearances in the top five. Her two victories came at the Marilynn Smith Sunflower Invitational in early October and the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in March, the latter of which helped her earn Big 12 Women's Golfer of the Month honors.

A native of Castellon, Spain, Bernat is currently ranked 27th in the nation, while she is 25th in the latest World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) released on Wednesday. In addition to scoring average, Bernat also leads the team by having 98.00% of her 25 rounds count toward the team's score and with 19 rounds of even- or under-par golf. Her 16 under-par rounds are the most by a Wildcat since at least the 2010-11 season.

Bernat has posted seven of the team's best 11 rounds this season, which included a 66 during the second round of the Westbrook Invitational to tie for fourth in school history, and she also posted two rounds of 67 to tie for 11th in school history. Her winning score of 207 at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic was tied for the third lowest 54-hole score in school history – just three shots off the school record – while she tallied a 209 in three other events to tie for seventh in K-State history.

The NCAA Bryan Regional is one of six sites that have 12 teams and six individuals. The top five teams and the low individual not on an advancing team from each regional site will advance to play in the National Championship, May 17-22, at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.

Kansas State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Carla Bernat

Haley Vargas

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