K-State women's golf flashes the "Go 'Cats" hand sign after clinching the program's first trip to the NCAA Championships on Wednesday at the Lexington Regional, hosted by Keene Trace Golf Club. (Photo courtesy of K-State Athletics)
For the first time in program history, Kansas State women’s golf will play in the NCAA Championship as the No. 5-seeded Wildcats tied for second place at the 2025 NCAA Lexington Regional.
“Moments like this are why we do all the work,” head coach Stew Burke said to K-State Athletics. “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.”
K-State was led by senior Carla Bernat, who claimed the individual leaderboard title at the par-72, 6,095-yard Keene Trace Golf Club. She led the field by going 9-under par on the par 5s, including the rare feat of an albatross on Wednesday, scoring a two on a par 5.
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. Ranked No. 22 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, she 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. “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.”
Bernat — the 2024-25 Big 12 Player of the Year and Augusta National Women’s Amateur Champion — earned her third victory this season and fifth as a Wildcat, ranking second in school history. She has eight in her collegiate career after picking up three wins at Tulane prior to transferring to K-State alongside Burke.
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.
“The team was excellent with everyone contributing this week,” Burke said. “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.”
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, the individual Big 12 Champion, 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.
Along with K-State and regional champion Florida State, the other teams to advance out of the NCAA Lexington Regional were Georgia Southern, USC and Vanderbilt.
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.