Nothing could rain on the Hope College women's golf team parade, not even a soggy and cold round at The Ravines Golf Club on Saturday.
The Flying Dutch earned back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division III Championship by shooting a second-place round of 325 on Saturday at The Ravines Golf Club.
Hope fired a 54-hole total of 962 to finish ahead of Saint Mary's (991), Olivet (1,029) and Trine (1,038) and qualify for the May 10-13 national championship at Bay Oaks Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
Coach Greg Stafford's Flying Dutch finished 11th in the nation in their first NCAA Championship appearance last season.
On Saturday, sophomore Nicole Meyer of Brighton, Michigan (Brighton HS) led Hope with a 6-over-par 78. She had the second-best round of the field that only trailed the MIAA course-record tying 75 from Taylor Kehoe of Saint Mary's.
Saint Mary's shot a team score of 320 during the final round. Hope came in a runner-up 325 after winning the first two rounds.
Meyer, pictured, claimed medalist honors for the entire tournament with a total of 236.
Senior Morgan Leep of Caledonia, Michigan (South Christian HS) and sophomore Megan Klintworth of Jackson, Michigan (Hanover-Horton HS) each chipped in 80s on Saturday.
Junior Britni Gielow of Norton Shores, Michigan (Mona Shores HS) rounded out Hope's scoring with an 87.
Sophomore Megan Wierenga of Byron Center, Michigan (South Christian HS) had a 90.
The Flying Dutch had three different golfers leading them in scoring during the three rounds: Gielow, Wierenga and Meyer.
"It's super exciting," Meyer told The Holland Sentinel of returning to nationals. "We get to go to Houston and play to just keep pushing forward as a team. It's a huge accomplishment especially for Morgan because it's her last chance to go."
