K-State Selected as No. 5 Seed in NCAA Lexington Regional
Apr 23, 2025 | Women's Golf
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Following one of the best regular seasons in program history, the Kansas State women's golf team earned a postseason bid for the first time since 2017 and the sixth time overall as the Wildcats were selected as the No. 5 seed in the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional, the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Selection Committee announced Wednesday during Golf Central on GOLF Channel.
K-State will compete at Keene Trace Golf Club, May 5-7, against a field of 12 teams, including No. 1 seed and ACC Champion Florida State, No. 2 seed USC, No. 3 seed TCU and No. 4 seed Vanderbilt. The top five teams in the regional and low individual not on an advancing team will advance to the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship, which will be held May 16-21 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.
"We are delighted to be selected for the NCAA Lexington Regional," head coach Stew Burke said. "The girls deserve this moment today for all the hard work they've put in since last season ended. There are excellent teams in this regional and one that will be very competitive. We are excited to get to work to prepare for the postseason."
The Wildcats, ranked No. 28 in the latest National Collegiate Golf Rankings, currently hold a school-record team scoring average of 287.66, nearly three shots per round better than the record produced by the squad a season ago. This year's Wildcats are tied for first in school history in wins (2) and top-three finishes (6), while they are tied for second in top-five finishes (8). Five of the top seven team rounds in school history have come this season in addition to four of the top six 54-hole marks.
Seniors Carla Bernat and Sophie Bert lead the team in scoring average at 70.09 and 72.75, respectively. Bernat's mark is currently tops in school history – 0.81 strokes per round better than the school record she put together last season – while Bert is third in school history. Bernat holds an average of 70.49 strokes per round during her time as a Wildcat, which is 3.64 shots per round better than the current school record held by Connie Jaffrey (74.13 – 2014-18).
Bert broke the school record for single-round score with a 63 produced during the second round of the Westbrook Invitational in February, while her 54-hole score of 204 during that event tied the school record. She also claimed the first individual conference title in school history as she carded a 2-under par 211 to win the 2025 Big 12 Championship.
K-State last appeared in an NCAA Regional in May 2017 when the Wildcats finished 13th out of 18 teams in Athens, Georgia. Prior to that, Kansas State was selected every year from 2001 through 2004, and its best finish at a regional was 10th out of 21 teams at the 2002 NCAA Central regional in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Although the Wildcats have not advanced to an NCAA Regional in eight seasons, Bernat and Bert do have postseason experience.
Last season, Bernat was selected as an individual in the NCAA Bryan (Texas) Regional, tying for third place at 7-under par 209 to advance to the NCAA Championship. She also played in two regionals at Tulane when the Green Wave – coached by Burke – won the 2022 American Athletic Conference Championship and participated in the NCAA Stillwater Regional, where she tied for 10th place. She also qualified as an individual the next year, tying for 27th in the NCAA Athens Regional.
Bert, a transfer from East Tennessee State, was part of a Buccaneer squad that won last season's Southern Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Auburn Regional. The Deurle, Belgium, product tied for 13th place at 5-over par 221.
K-State will compete at Keene Trace Golf Club, May 5-7, against a field of 12 teams, including No. 1 seed and ACC Champion Florida State, No. 2 seed USC, No. 3 seed TCU and No. 4 seed Vanderbilt. The top five teams in the regional and low individual not on an advancing team will advance to the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship, which will be held May 16-21 at Omni La Costa Resort in Carlsbad, California.
"We are delighted to be selected for the NCAA Lexington Regional," head coach Stew Burke said. "The girls deserve this moment today for all the hard work they've put in since last season ended. There are excellent teams in this regional and one that will be very competitive. We are excited to get to work to prepare for the postseason."
The Wildcats, ranked No. 28 in the latest National Collegiate Golf Rankings, currently hold a school-record team scoring average of 287.66, nearly three shots per round better than the record produced by the squad a season ago. This year's Wildcats are tied for first in school history in wins (2) and top-three finishes (6), while they are tied for second in top-five finishes (8). Five of the top seven team rounds in school history have come this season in addition to four of the top six 54-hole marks.
Seniors Carla Bernat and Sophie Bert lead the team in scoring average at 70.09 and 72.75, respectively. Bernat's mark is currently tops in school history – 0.81 strokes per round better than the school record she put together last season – while Bert is third in school history. Bernat holds an average of 70.49 strokes per round during her time as a Wildcat, which is 3.64 shots per round better than the current school record held by Connie Jaffrey (74.13 – 2014-18).
Bert broke the school record for single-round score with a 63 produced during the second round of the Westbrook Invitational in February, while her 54-hole score of 204 during that event tied the school record. She also claimed the first individual conference title in school history as she carded a 2-under par 211 to win the 2025 Big 12 Championship.
K-State last appeared in an NCAA Regional in May 2017 when the Wildcats finished 13th out of 18 teams in Athens, Georgia. Prior to that, Kansas State was selected every year from 2001 through 2004, and its best finish at a regional was 10th out of 21 teams at the 2002 NCAA Central regional in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Although the Wildcats have not advanced to an NCAA Regional in eight seasons, Bernat and Bert do have postseason experience.
Last season, Bernat was selected as an individual in the NCAA Bryan (Texas) Regional, tying for third place at 7-under par 209 to advance to the NCAA Championship. She also played in two regionals at Tulane when the Green Wave – coached by Burke – won the 2022 American Athletic Conference Championship and participated in the NCAA Stillwater Regional, where she tied for 10th place. She also qualified as an individual the next year, tying for 27th in the NCAA Athens Regional.
Bert, a transfer from East Tennessee State, was part of a Buccaneer squad that won last season's Southern Conference Championship and advanced to the NCAA Auburn Regional. The Deurle, Belgium, product tied for 13th place at 5-over par 221.
– k-statesports.com –
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
How to follow the Cats: For complete information on K-State Women's Golf, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram and Facebook.
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