LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. (April 22, 2026)Â -Â The Northern Arizona women's golf team won its 10th Big Sky Conference Championship, concluding today's final round at the Wigwam Golf Course.
The Lumberjacks finished the three-day tournament at five under par, five strokes ahead of second-place Northern Colorado.
Senior Lizzie Neale had a phenomenal round, shooting 6-under with eight birdies. She opened with a birdie on the first hole and added birdies on the third, fifth, and eighth to complete a bogey-free, 4-under front nine. Her back nine began with another birdie, followed by one on hole 15. A double bogey on hole 16 brought her back to 4-under before she closed the round with back-to-back birdies on holes 17 and 18. Neale tied for the individual title at 5-under but was edged by Montana State's Nora Seidl on the first playoff hole. Recently named Big Sky Player of the Year after a standout season, Neale's performance reinforced that honor. She led the field in par-3 scoring with a 2.83 average (-3), tied for fifth in par-4 scoring at 4.10 (+2), and tied for eighth in par-5 scoring at 4.73 (-4). Neale recorded the second-most birdies (14) and tied for 13th with 33 total pars.
Frankie Dezis tied for third with a final score of 2-under. The junior opened her third round with a birdie and added birdies on holes seven, 14, and 18 - birdieing the 18th in all three rounds. This marks her best career finish at the conference tournament and earned her a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Dezis was also recently named to the Big Sky All-Conference First Team. She led the tournament in par-4 scoring at even par and in par-5 scoring with a 4.47 average (-8). Her 13 birdies were the third-most in the field, and her 30 pars tied for 31st.
Nina Lukyanenko shot 79 (+8) in the final round to finish at +4 overall, tying for 10th on the leaderboard. The senior recorded one birdie on the par-3 15th hole. She averaged 3.06 (+1) on par-3s (tied for 11th), 4.19 (+4) on par-4s (tied for 12th), and 4.93 (-1) on par-5s (tied for 24th). She tied for seventh with 35 pars and tied for 11th with nine birdies.
One stroke back was Amy Hodgkins at +5 after a 75 (+4) in the final round. The junior recorded one birdie on the par-3 16th. She tied for 20th with seven birdies and tied for 13th with Neale with 33 pars. Her par-3 scoring average was 3.22 (+4), tied for 21st, and she averaged 4.14 (+3) on par-4s, tied for ninth. Hodgkins was the third Lumberjack to be named to the Big Sky All-Conference First Team this year.
Lydia Lin fired a 72 (+1) to finish at +7 overall, tying for 12th. The freshman posted an even-par front nine with a birdie on hole five. She added a birdie on hole 10 before dropping a few shots early on the back nine. She rebounded with birdies on the par-3 15th and 17th holes to finish at 1-under for the round. Lin tied for third in par-3 scoring at 2.83 (-3) and tied for eighth with Neale in par-5 scoring at 4.73 (-4). She tied for 13th with eight birdies and for ninth with 34 pars.
As a team, NAU totaled the second-most birdies (51) and pars (165). The Lumberjacks ranked second in par-3 scoring (+7) and par-5 scoring (-19), and they led the field on par-4s by five strokes at +21.
With the win, NAU punches its ticket to the NCAA Regionals, set for May 11-13. The location will be announced during the selection show on April 29.
Stay up to date with the Northern Arizona women's golf team by following the 'Jacks on Instagram and X.
