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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.
This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.
Three-peat! NSU Women’s Golf Claims Third Straight National Title!
(Photo caption: L to R– Associate Head Coach Amanda Brown, Nicole Whitmore, Sandra Changkija, Taylor Collins, Fredrika Hakansson, Abbey Gittings, and Head Coach Kevin Marsh.)
After four days and 72 grueling holes against the strongest competition in the country at the 2011 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf National Championship, the Nova Southeastern University women’s golf team claimed their third straight national title. The Sharks carded a four-round 1,157 (+5) on the 6,111-yard, par-72 The Meadows course.
Taylor Collins swung into the record books to win the individual national title
Not only did NSU claim their third straight team title, but for the second year in a row a Shark player laid claim to the individual national title as well. NSU’s Taylor Collins’ (Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) record-setting performance over the four-day event that stood out as she posted an NCAA Division II Championship record for best score in relation to par after four rounds with a 10 under 278. The previous record was held by Rollins’ Joanna Coe set in 2008.
The journey began four years ago, when the four seniors, Collins, Sandra Changkija (Sr., Orlando, Fla.), Fredrika Hakansson (Sr., Vero Beach, Fla.) and Nicole Whitmore (Sr., Milton Keyes, England), arrived at NSU’s campus as freshmen in the fall of 2007. Little did they know that their collegiate careers together would result in three consecutive national titles. In their first year together, the quartet finished the 2008 spring season as the national runner-up to Rollins. In 2009, the chemistry continued to grow and it resulted in Nova Southeastern’s first-ever national championship. Abbey Gittings (So., Tamworth, England) then joined the crew in 2010 and helped NSU to their second straight championship.
In their last season together as a team, the four seniors and lone sophomore saved their best performance for last by becoming only the third Division II squad to win three consecutive national titles in Division II championship history. Along the way, the team set two NCAA Division II Championship team records. The first came on the opening day of the tournament when the team posted a championship record for best score in relation to par after one round with a five under 283. At the conclusion of the four-day championship event, they set yet another NCAA Division II Championship record with the best score in relation to par after four rounds with a five over 1,157.
In addition to Collins’ NCAA championship and course records as an individual, probably the next most impressive accomplishment was Collins, Changkija and Gittings claiming the top three individual spots in the tournament.