The Briar Cliff women's golf team improved by 16 strokes in their second round at TPC Deere Run, but their tournament was cut short after not making the cut. The Chargers end their season for the 11th time in program history at the NAIA National Championships.
 
"Knocking 16 strokes off our first-round total was paramount to gaining confidence and moving our program forward," said head coach Ben Irlbeck. "Playing at the national championship is probably the biggest golf tournament our ladies have ever played in. They did a nice job making adjustments to the course and conditions as the tournament rounds progressed."
 
The Chargers placed 28th with a team score of 710 (363, 347). Each member of the team rolled in one birdie over their 36 holes.
 
Helene Getz Bergmo led the Cliff with an 82 in her second round. Bergmo shaved off one stroke from yesterday's score and tallied 11 pars on the day. In total, she led BC with 19 pars over the two days of play. Her best stretch of play was through her 13th to 17th hole where she was even par.
 
"Helene knew going into the day she was going to need a special round to advance into the final rounds of the event," said Irlbeck. "While she was disappointed in her performance, she is looking forward for what is to come. She's had a couple nice years, but I think her best is yet to come."
 
Frankie Valencia closed out her last round in for the Blue and Gold with an 84, a six-shot improvement from round one. Valencia made the most out of teeing off hole No. 10 to start, cutting six shots off her round one mark between the 10th to 18th hole. She rolled in a birdie on No. 15 that plays as a 366-yard par four and followed with back-to-back pars.
 
"I was extremely happy Frankie bounced back from her first-round trouble," said Irlbeck. "She was much more comfortable on the course today and her short game was much more on point. Her senior leadership will be missed by all next year."
 
Grace Johanson made the largest leap in score from the first round, knocking 10 strokes off in round two. She closed out her final nine holes with a 41 (+6) to shoot an 89.
 
Abbigale Miller rounded out her tournament with a 92 (47, 45) and had four pars on the day. Kelly Baade ended with a 97, a two-stroke improvement from round one. She tapped in for birdie on her 12th hole of the day, a 140-yard uphill par three.
 
Individual Results
Place   Name                            R1        R2       Total
T95      Helene Getz Bergmo    83        82        165
T125    Frankie Valencia           90        84        174
142      Abbigale Miller              91        92        183
T148    Grace Johanson           99        89        188
T151    Kelly Baade                  99        97        196