NIU, Naro take first place in Falcon Florida Classic

Women’s Golf | February 7th

LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. The Northern Illinois University women’s golf team opened the spring championship season at the Falcon Florida Classic. NIU finished first on the under 850 card, the best 54-hole team score in program history. Sydney Naro finished first in the tournament with a 10-under 206, the best 54-hole individual card in team history.

“Yesterday after the rounds we said let’s go set records,” said the NIU head coach. Kim Kester. “Let’s shoot from as low as possible”

Jasmine Lyjust four strokes behind Naro, tied for second with a career-best six-under 210 scorecard. Ahra Ko also finished in the top ten as he finished eighth with a one-under 215.

“Just seeing the positives that we saw this week, like keeping the ball in play, giving ourselves birdie opportunities, all of that is a great thing that will prepare us to compete for the MAC title.”

The hot-shooting Huskies’ path to the podium began Monday, shooting 284 in the first round and 280 in the second round. NIU’s 280 tied the program’s 18-hole team record previously set on Feb. 9, 2021, in the third round of the Mid-American Challenge.

The second day and final round picked up where the Huskies left off the day before, shooting low. The team carded a two-under 286 to solidify its 14-under 850 total and first place, an incredible 10 strokes ahead of runner-up Idaho.

“The conditions were a lot tighter today than yesterday – a lot more wind. So the exit, the first event, as far down as we did, was pretty awesome and we saw a lot of good going forward.”

Naro wrote his name in the history books and won his first career tournament, posting a 10-under 206 card, which is a school record. Naro’s final two round scores, both four-under 68s, tied for the second-best individual 18-hole round in NIU history.

In his final round, Naro was bogey-free, while his 14 birdies were the most by any golfer in the tournament. Heading into his tournament bow, Naro had an industry-best par 4 average of just 3.83 strokes per hole.

Just behind Naro and in second place was Ly, with a career-best six below 210 on the final scorecard. Ly drilled three straight birdies in the second round to post a three-under 69, one stroke shy of his career best. Ly made 11 birdies to NIU’s 48, the most of any team. Additionally, Ly averaged just 3.93 strokes per hole on the par 4s, tied for second best in the field with Kyndall Newman of Idaho.

Ko was on fire, racking up 12 birdies, third most in the field and helping him tie for eighth, a season best. The Huskies senior’s one-under 215 was just three strokes off his career-best 54-hole score previously set at the Mid-American Challenge on February 9, 2021.

Emily Romancew finished in the top 20 and a career-best scorecard after posting four-over 220s at the end of three rounds. Romancew recorded his first ever eagle on the 18th^th second-round hole that helped him shoot a two-under 70, the best 18-hole round of his career.

Jóhanna Lúðvíksdóttir shot 232 and played the best golf in the third round. Karen Liu shot 235. The pair combined for seven birdies to wrap things up for NIU.

Behind the Huskies in order, Idaho, Toledo, Illinois State and Western Michigan rounded out the top five.

NIU’s last tournament win came at the ISU Redbird Invitational on April 10, 2021. The last Husky to win the tournament as an individual was Ly at the 2022 Mid-American Conference Championships.

“We played great golf. We also made some mistakes here and there. The quality of golf we put together knowing we made a few mistakes that we can improve on just shows how much better we can be. It was great this weekend but there are things we want to improve on next time.”

NIU will be next in action on the 20th-21st. February at the Atlantic Invitational in Boynton Beach, Florida at Indian Spring Country Club.

“Winning today gives us confidence going into the next event. We played really well, we hit low numbers, we shot under par a few sets in a row, we played with the pressure of a lead. All of these things just build us to stay. compete and finish the winning mission.”