Barton women set school record, earn eighth straight national tournament bid in Region VI runner-up finish; Booranakunamanee keeps streak intact #GoBarton

Firing a school record low round, the Barton Community College women's golf team earned the program's eighth straight trip to the national championships as four Lady Cougars finished in the region's top ten today in the 36-hole Region VI Championship held at Hutchinson's Carey Park Golf Course.

The Lady Cougars dug a nineteen stroke deficit after the opening round of the Championship on Sunday, cutting three strokes off the margin Monday as all four team members shot sub-80 for the school record 308. Shaving thirty-one strokes off the first round 339, Barton tallied a 647 for the two days in placing a runner-up sixteen strokes behind defending champion Dodge City Community College's 631 (320-311) as five Conquistadors were within the top five of the leaderboard. Coffeyville also had a good closing day of action, improving their team score by twenty strokes to place third at 724 (372-352).

Mutita Booranakunamanee continued Barton's string of four straight individual champions, as the 46th ranked freshman from Thailand charged from an 81 third place standing after Sunday's round in firing a 1-under 71 to win the title by four strokes at 8-over 152.

The three other Lady Cougars matched final rounds of 79 to hold their day one position, with No. 77 ranked Lucia Rodriguez Zapico finishing tied with Dodge City's Tanyaporn Chothirunpanit for 6th place overall with a 163. 45th ranked Vilma Efraimsson and 96th ranked Kendra Jellison rounded out the Barton record breaking team score, posting identical 87 opening rounds for a 166 total in tying for 8th place. Miranda Kern placed 11th overall to earn the alternate spot as the 100th ranked player carded 91 and 89 rounds to finish with a 180.

The well-balanced Conquistadors took the 2nd through the 6th place tie spots, with first round leader and 27th ranked Napaknaree Sirithorn the only player to card sub-80's in both rounds with a 77 and 79 for a 156. Two strokes behind was No. 29 Suthasinee Sridet who catapulted up the ranks from an opening 84 sixth place standing to fire the final day's second best round of 2-over 74 for a 158 total. Odette Booysen's 82 and 78 rounds were good for a 4th place 160 score while 62nd ranked Kanyakorn Chothirunpanit placed fifth at 161 (81-80).

Coffeyville's Jordan Lee rounded out the top ten individuals with a 170 as the 117th ranked player carded 88 and 82 rounds.

Finishing in the nation's top-fourteen the past four seasons, Barton will shoot for another high placing on the national stage competing at the 2018 NJCAA Women's Golf Championship held May 14-17 at Longbow Golf Club located in Mesa, Arizona.

Complete Region VI Championship results

Team Standings (Final - 36 Holes):
#8 Dodge City CC – 631
#9 Barton CC – 647
#24 Coffeyville CC – 724

Individual Standings (Final – 36 Holes):
1. #46 Mutita Booranakunamanee (Barton) – 152
2. #27 Napaknaree Sirithorn (Dodge City) – 156
3. #29 Suthasinee Sridet (Dodge City) – 158
4. Odette Booysen (Dodge City) – 160
5. #62 Kanyakorn Chothirunpanit (Dodge City) - 161
6. #74 Lucia Rodriguez Zapico (Barton) and Tanyaporn Chothirunpanit (Dodge City) – 163
8. #45 Vilma Efraimsson (Barton) and #96 Kendra Jellison (Barton) – 166
10. #117 Jordan Lee (Coffeyville) – 170
11. (Alternate) #100 Miranda Kern (Barton) - 180