BLINN WOMEN’S GOLF FINISHES 7TH AT NJCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

Story by Joe Alberico, Blinn College Sports Information

The fourth-ranked Blinn College women’s golf team made history Thursday at the four-day NJCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship at Oakwood Country Club in Coal Valley, Illinois.

Though the Buccaneers fell short of placing at or above their national rank, the team made history with the program’s first two NJCAA All-America performers.

Blinn finished seventh in the 15-team field, shooting a combined 126-over par across four rounds. Second-ranked Dayton State College shot 69-over to win the team title.

The Buccaneers made waves nonetheless thanks to an outstanding fifth-place finish for freshman Ava Murcer, who shot 16-over, and an 11th-place tie for sophomore Daniah Syed, who was 26-over.

For finishing inside the top six, Murcer was a first-team All-American and an all-tournament honoree, while Syed earned second-team All-American and all-tournament recognition.

Blinn assistant coach Gary Belt, who leads the women during competition, was also honored by the NJCAA with the Sportsmanship Award.

The teams placing third through seventh finished in a bit of a log jam, as No. 3 Seminole State College finished third at 116-over, No. 7 Weatherford College placed fourth at 120-over, No. 6 New Mexico Junior College took fifth at 121-over, and No. 5 Eastern Florida State College finished sixth at 125-over.

“All in all, it wasn’t the finish we wanted as a team, but I was extremely proud of our girls for hanging tough until the very end,” Belt said. “We were within a couple shots of a top-three finish for most of the tournament and into the final day, but it just didn’t pan out for us in the end. I still could not be prouder of this team.”

Murcer said that although the Bucs were unable to best their program-best finish at the 2025 national tournament (fourth place), she was impressed with how she and her teammates elevated their game among the nation’s top teams and players.

“We all learned something out there, and I think that was the most rewarding part of the experience,” Murcer explained. “I know I personally had no expectations for myself, and just saw the tournament as an opportunity to learn and grow as a player, so to perform the way I did was extremely rewarding and a reflection of my skill as well as the great coaching and teammates I have here at Blinn.”

Blinn was in the national tournament for a third consecutive season and third time in program history.