AURORA, Colo. – The No. 4 Nova Southeastern University women's golf team finished in third place after their third straight day of improvement pushed them up two spots on the team leaderboard at the conclusion of the 2016 NCAA DII National Championship.
 
The Sharks shot a final round 294, just one stroke higher than the best round by any team on Saturday. They overcame Dallas Baptist and Tarleton State to finish only one shot behind Indianapolis for second overall with a four-day total of 1,183. Four Sharks finished in the top 20, with freshman Sophie Madden (Essex, England) leading them in the end in ninth.
 
Her final round of a 1-under 71 consisted of three birdies, and she moved up 14 spots on the leaderboard Saturday with a 295 total (74-76-74-71). Michelle Ruiz (So., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) birdied her final hole of the tournament to end in 14th place alone (72-73-74-77—296), while Mailen Domecq Chantry (So., Mar del Plata, Argentina) slotted 15th at 297 (69-77-74-76), including tying for the final round team high with 13 pars.
 
Saving her best for last with an under-par last day was Aldana Foigel (Fr., Plottier, Argentina). She wrapped with four birdies towards a 71, shooting up 15 spots on the leaderboard to 19th (75-76-76-71). Jamie Freedman (So., Miami Beach, Fla.) ended with a 76 – with pars on 11 of her first 12 holes Saturday – and a total of 306 (77-79-74-76).
 
The Sharks wrapped the tourney with the most pars by a team, 239, nine more than second place Rollins. They tied Rollins for the second-best par-3 score (15-over) and had the third-lowest scores on both par-4 and par-5 holes. Individually, Ruiz and Madden tied for the eighth-lowest par-3 score (2-over). Foigel and Madden were among those also in eighth on par-4's (5-over), and Ruiz tied for ninth on par-5 scoring (3-under). Additionally, the trio of Freedman, Madden and Ruiz had 49 pars each, tied for the fourth-highest mark in the field of 72.
 
Rollins won the team standings by nine strokes over UIndy. NSU topped the next two teams, tied for fourth, by six: Grand Valley State and Saint Leo. Taking the 2016 individual national title was Gabrielle Shipley of GVSU, shooting a 6-under 282 to win by one stroke over Findlay's Kasey Petty.