K-State Advances to NCAA Championship for First Time, Bernat Wins Individual Crown

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – For the first time in program history, the Kansas State women's golf team has advanced to the NCAA Championship as the Wildcats tied for second place, while senior Carla Bernat was the individual medalist of the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional after final-round play on Wednesday at the par-72, 6,095-yard Keene Trace Golf Club.

The Wildcats, who entered play on Wednesday in third place and just six shots clear of the cutline, turned in the round of the day at 10-under par 278, which tied for the eighth-lowest round in program history. K-State finished with a three-round total of 10-under par 854, the sixth-lowest 54-hole score in school history and 12 shots clear of the cutline.

"Moments like this are why we do all the work," head coach Stew Burke said. "It was a pleasure to be out there today with them. They were composed, confident, and determined. Nobody was going to give it to us, so we just had to go out there and take it.

"The team was excellent with everyone contributing this week. They never looked uncomfortable and just stuck to the task at hand. We couldn't be prouder of how they came into this week wanting to play again next week and not resting on a great season."

Bernat – the 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year – earned her third victory this season and fifth as Wildcat – the latter of which moved her into sole possession of second place in school history – while she has eight in her collegiate career after picking up three wins at Tulane prior to transferring to K-State.

Her 54-hole score of 12-under par 204 tied the school record set by fellow senior Sophie Bert three months ago at the Westbrook Invitational. Additionally, it was one shot better than her collegiate low of 205 during a victory at the MountainView Collegiate in March.

Bernat's winning tally was fueled by a final-round score of 6-under par 66, which tied for the sixth-lowest round in school history. After she parred the first four holes, Bernat kicked off her low round with an albatross on the par-5 5th hole, the first time in her collegiate or international career she went 3-under par on a hole. From there, she carded birdies on Nos. 8, 11, 12 and 16. A product of Castellon, Spain, Bernat now has 17 rounds in the 60s this season and 42 in her collegiate career.

Ranked No. 23 in the National Collegiate Golf Rankings and No. 22 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), Bernat earned a two-shot victory over the No. 1 and 2 players in the WAGR, Florida State's Mirabel Ting and Lottie Woad.

"Carla really had a great tournament and built well into the week," Burke said of Bernat, who led the field by going 9-under par on the par 5s. "Winning a regional against the No. 1 and 2 players not just in the country but the world is no easy feat. It was special to see her albatross at hole 5, and it came right when we needed it as a team. To win once in college golf is an unbelievable achievement, but eight times is truly remarkable. She has a bright future ahead of her after college, but let's first try and add to that total in California."

Freshman Nanami Nakashima posted a season-low round of 5-under par 67, one shot better than her previous low of 68 during the second round of the Rainbow Wahine Invitational in October. The Kani, Japan, native went bogey-free and 5-under par on the front 9, while she had one bogey and one birdie on the back. Nakashima improved 16 spots on the leaderboard during the final round to tie for 18th place – her third top-20 finish this season – at even-par 216.

Sophomore Alenka Navarro tied with Nakashima as she went even par on the day, including a bogey-free and 1-under par back 9.

Junior Noa van Beek turned in a counting score of 1-over par 73 on Wednesday thanks to an eagle on No. 5 and birdies on four of her first five holes on the back 9. The Oene, Netherlands, native finished in 29th place at 4-over par 220.

Bert produced her second-straight round of 3-over par 75 on Wednesday as she finished in 58th place with a three-round total of 14-over par 230.

After going a collective 12-over par on the back 9 over the first two rounds, the Wildcats did not let the tougher half of the golf course derail their final-round momentum as they were 5-under par on that side on Wednesday, the best of any squad in the 12-team field. Kansas State led the field by going 20-under par on the par 5s, tied for first with two eagles or better and finished with 47 birdies to rank second, just one behind team champion Florida State.

Along with K-State and Florida State, the other teams to advance out of the NCAA Lexington Regional were Georgia Southern – which tied with the Wildcats for second place – USC and Vanderbilt. TCU finished one stroke back of the Commodores and in sixth place.

The 2025 NCAA Championship begins on Friday, May 16, with the first of three days of stroke play. Following Sunday's third round, the field will be cut to 15 teams and the top nine individuals on a non-advancing team for the fourth and final round on Monday, May 19, to determine the top eight teams that will advance to match play as well as the 72-hole individual champion.

The team national champion will be determined by a match-play format that will consist of quarterfinals and semifinals on Tuesday, May 20, followed by the finals on Wednesday, May 21. Monday's final round of stroke play and all three rounds of match play will be shown on GOLF Channel.

– k-statesports.com –

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K-State Advances to NCAA Championship for First Time, Bernat Wins Individual Crown

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Players Mentioned

Carla Bernat

Sophie Bert

Nanami Nakashima

Alenka Navarro

Noa van Beek

Players Mentioned

Carla Bernat

Sophie Bert

Nanami Nakashima

Alenka Navarro

Noa van Beek

Kansas State University Athletics