For the first time in Cal State Fullerton women's golf history, the Titans are heading to the 2025 NCAA Division I Championships. The Titans fired off a final round 3-over 291 at the Gold Canyon Regional at Superstition Mountain GC in Apache Junction, Ariz., to advance to the final site and keep the historic season alive.
The Titans will be joined at Omni La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., by regional winner Oregon (-12), host Arizona State (-3), Oklahoma State (+2) and Mississippi State (+11). This marks the eighth time ever that a Big West program will compete in the team competition at the Championships, and the first since 2015.
Cal State Fullerton opened the day in sixth and in the hunt to reach the Championships field. By the end of the round, The first-time Big West champion Titans were up one spot to fifth, leaping over Auburn by one stroke to join the five qualifying teams in celebration, punching their ticket in historic fashion.
The Titans trailed Auburn on the final nine before junior Davina Xanh birdied four times in a six-hole stretch to knock the Tigers outside the top five. Xanh then bogeyed the last two holes, and it appeared that a closing 72 for Auburn's Anna Davis was good enough to force a team playoff. However, a scoring error had Davis a shot better than reality, sealing Auburn's fate.
The Titans are now the first No. 10 seed in the six-regional era to advance to the Championships final site. Cal State Fullerton bested four ranked teams in the Regional field in No. 17 Auburn (+24), No. 48 San Jose State (+26), No. 32 California (+28) and No. 44 Virginia Tech (+38).
Tuesday saw Big West Golfer of the Year and individual medalist Kaitlyn Zermeno Smith and Katharina Zeilinger take double-digit leaps up the leaderboard with rounds of 1-under 71 to propel the Titans up a spot in the team standings. Xanh capped the tournament with a 54-hole total of 2-under 214 after carding a 73 in the final round of action, punctuated by the four birdies on the final nine to surge the team to fifth.
Sophomore Zara Ali finished in 25th overall after a 5-over 77 in the final round with Louise Dahl recording a 4-over 76 for the fourth countable score of the day.
The Titans and Tigers were remarkably close in statistical team scoring averages, but separated themselves out on the Par 5s, as Cal State Fullerton played the long holes at 1-over on the week, bettering Auburn by five strokes in the category.
Playing as an individual, Long Beach State junior Janae Leovao put together a final round of 1-under 71 to close the 54 holes of action at even par. Leovao was one stroke back from Auburn's Davis, who secured the region's individual berth to the Championships field. Leovao's eighth-place finish was highlighted by a hole in one on the first day of action at the Par 3 17th and seven total birdies.
The Big West's national individual qualifier from 2024, Jasmine Leovao went four over for the week to land in a three-way tie at 17th and Cal Poly redshirt senior Jensen Jalufka tied for 37th overall.
Next up, the Titans will join 29 other regionally-qualified teams and take the short drive down the 5 to Omni La Costa Resort and Spa to compete at the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships in Carlsbad, Calif.
All advancing teams and individuals will complete 54 holes of stroke play. Then the top 15 teams along with the top nine individuals not on an advancing team play a final round of stroke play to determine the 72-hole stroke play individual champion and the top eight teams who will compete in match play for the team title.
The Big West's highest national finish was its last – an 11th place showing by UC Davis in 2015. Ten years later as Cal State Fullerton prepares for another program first, their sights are set on a conference best.