NCAA DII Championships Coming to Denver May 16-21

Green Valley Ranch and CommonGround to host men’s and women’s golf championships.

NCAA DII Championships Coming to Denver May 16-21

Two-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen is a product of an NCAA Division II University. So are Gary McCord and Rocco Mediate.

Jackie Stoelting is one of a handful of Division II players on the LPGA Tour.

There's no question Division II players have game.

And those games will be on full display in Colorado May 16-21, as Green Valley Ranch Golf Course and CommonGround Golf Course will respectively play host to the Men's and Women's Division II Golf Championships.

The tournaments are part of the ninth annual Division II National Championships Festival. Metro State University-Denver and the Denver Sports Commission are hosting it. In addition to golf, that week 76 qualifying teams and 20 qualifying individuals will represent their institutions by competing for national championships in women’s lacrosse and softball, and in men’s and women’s tennis. (Click here to see schedule.)

UCCS Men's golf Team-RMAC Champions

The men's golf competition will take place May 17-21; the women's, May 18-21. Local teams hoping to compete on the men's side include CU-Colorado Springs, champions of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (above), Colorado Christian College and Regis University. They played May 2-4 at the New Mexico State University Course in Las Cruces. The top five teams advance to the Nationals at Green Valley Ranch. (Click here to see regional results.)

Also with a chance to play at Green Valley are are three individuals: Nick Berry and George Markham (Colorado School of Mines) and Jacob Allenback (CSU-Pueblo). In order to compete in Nationals, they have to be one of the top two finishers from teams not in the top five.

Last year's champion was Nova Southeastern University of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

On the women's side, two individual players from Metro State, which is hosting the event, have a shot to carry the Colorado flag. It's an impressive feat for a program in only its third year of existence (Metro State does not have a men's golf team).

The women with a chance at playing at CommonGround are Allie Johnston and Cha Cha Willhoite, both of whom are competing at the Super Regionals in Stockton, California.

Johnson, of Castle Rock, won the 2012 Colorado Women's Golf Association match play and Mashie championships. She transfered to Metro from the University of Texas-San Antonio. Willhoite, a Californian, transeferred from San Jose State University.

The top three teams along with the top three individuals not with a team from each super regional will advance to the championships. Follow their regional progress here.

For tickets to both the men's and women's National Finals, go to roadrunnersathletics.com.

Visit our News page for more Colorado golf news.

Colorado AvidGolfer is the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.

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