ONALASKA, Wis. -- The Bellevue University women's golf team posted the best fourth round score by seven strokes to secure victory in the 2016-17 North Star Athletic Association Tournament Championship.
Ivane Helias won the individual title with a tournament-tying best round score of 77 for a four-round total of 316. She earned a five-stroke victory over teammate Faustina Peve who placed second after recording an 83 on the day and a score of 321 in the tournament.
The conference championship is the sixth-straight for the Bruins dating back to their days in the MCAC. Bellevue's team score of 1321 was 41 strokes ahead of second place Viterbo (1,362). Waldorf finished in third place (1,395), followed by Jamestown (1,399), Valley City State (1,610), Dickinson State (1,623), and Presentation (2,777).
Wendy Monfort joined Helias and Peve as top-five finishers as she placed in a tie for fourth place with a fourth round 78 to finish at 325, nine shots off the pace.
Morgan Hazzard, Bellevue's fourth scorer on the day, shot a 91 to finish in 16th place (368). Bri Stagge improved her score by three strokes from yesterday for a two-round score of 191.
For capturing the tournament's individual title, Helias was named the NSAA Women's Golfer of the Year. Additionally, Helias was named NSAA Golfer of the Week for her score of 155 over the tournament's final two rounds. Shelly Liddick earned NSAA Coach of the Year honors for the second-straight season after guiding Bellevue to back-to-back NSAA Championships.
By virtue of winning the NSAA Tournament Championship, the Bruins qualify for the NAIA National Championships to be played in West Palm Beach, Fla. from May 23-26.
