George Fox Women’s Golf Caps Season With Fourth-Place National Finish, Trio Earns All-American Honors

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — After a week marked by delays and tough competition, the George Fox women’s golf team wrapped up its season with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division III Championship in Williamsburg, Virginia — the program’s fifth consecutive top-five showing.

The Bruins posted a team score of 1,203 (+51) over four rounds, just eight strokes shy of the podium. Senior Alison Takamiya led the way with a final-round 74 (+2) to finish third individually, narrowly missing her second straight national title.

Takamiya entered the final round tied for first after a 69 (-3) on Thursday. She climbed back into contention with a birdie on No. 9 but couldn’t regain the lead after a bogey on No. 14. Her third-place finish caps a decorated Bruin career that includes five tournament wins this season, four Northwest Conference Player of the Year honors, and three national podiums.

Senior Liana Brown also delivered a strong finish, shooting a 73 (+1) on the final day to move up two spots to a tie for 24th. Her front nine featured three birdies for a 34 (-3), the best stretch of the day for any Bruin.

Makensie Toole shot a 75 (+3) to place 62nd overall. Toole, the 2021 national champion, had two early birdies but couldn’t hold momentum on the back nine.

Ainsley Carter (81) and Katelyn Lam (83) rounded out the Bruins’ scorecard in the final round.

“All in all, I’m just thrilled to make the podium this year with all our great seniors,” head coach MaryJo McCloskey said. “That makes it five straight years bringing home an NCAA trophy. With how deep Division III has become, it’s really incredible.”

The team’s core trio — Takamiya, Toole, and Brown — was honored again this week when the Women’s Golf Coaches Association named them All-Americans.

Takamiya and Toole were both selected as First Team All-Americans for a record fifth consecutive season. Brown earned Second Team honors for the second year in a row after a senior campaign that included a program-record 67 (-5) at the Redlands Bulldog Invite.

All three were also named to the All-West Region Team, and McCloskey was named All-West Region Coach of the Year for the eighth time.

Though the Bruins will graduate a historic senior class — including Takamiya, Toole, Brown, Carter, and Lam — McCloskey is confident in the team’s future.

“We’ll be back,” she said. “And we’ll be chasing a podium finish once again.”

Simon Luedtke and Antonio Arredondo of George Fox University Athletics contributed to the reporting for this article.