DALLAS – What does it take to contend against truly elite programs? During its last outing, SMU got a first-hand lesson.
At the ACC Tournament in mid-April, the Mustangs finished second in stroke play, then took down North Carolina in match play, earning an opportunity against top-seeded Stanford in the conference finale. The Cardinal came away with the 3-0 match play victory, demonstrating why they've been atop the NCAA Division I women's golf rankings for most of the season.
It was a tough loss, but one that gave SMU a lot to build on ahead of the upcoming NCAA Regionals.
"For me, I saw the difference between my game and the games of some of their girls. And obviously I don't think it's that far off," freshman Kirra St-Laurent said. "To me, it gave me confidence that I'm not that far from this girl who's playing on the number one team in the country. It gives me confidence. It gives us confidence because obviously we beat every other team in the field. It was really good and insightful to play against them."
The Mustangs were selected as the No. 4 seed in the Waco Regional, which features fellow Lone Star State schools Texas A&M, Baylor, TCU, Tarleton State and Prairie View A&M, along with Oregon, Tennessee, LSU, Tulsa, Colorado and Northern Arizona. Play starts on Monday, May 11 at the Ridgewood Country Club in Waco.
If the Mustangs can finish among the top five teams in the regional, they'll earn a trip to the Omni Las Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif., for the NCAA Championship on May 22-27. It's SMU's fourth straight season qualifying for regionals and its 13th appearance overall. The program is seeking its third NCAA Championship appearance in the last four years.
In the weeks between the ACC Tournament and NCAA Regional, the Mustangs took some time to decompress and reset for the postseason. Several players had opportunities to compete at U.S. Open qualifying events, allowing them to focus on their own personal goals.
Since coming back together, the outlook on what's next has come into focus.
"We kind of discussed the trajectory and where we're at, and what we want to achieve moving forward and just really making that vision clear," SMU coach Lauren Mason said. "We've got such a great team this year and I keep telling people that. Everything's coming to fruition. I think the puzzle pieces are coming together."
If the Mustangs can get past the field in Waco, they'll find themselves back on college golf's biggest stage, likely against Stanford and many of the other elite programs in the country.
Over the course of the season, they've collected insights on what it takes to compete with the best. Those are lessons that should serve them well over the coming rounds.
"I do think that this is a team that can contend for a national championship. I would not have come back after the fall if I didn't believe that to my core," senior Emily Odwin said. "I think right now we've just got to look to regionals, make it through there and take it one round at a time."
