The number one NCAA Division II team in the country opened play in the national championship looking and scoring like the best team in the nation.

Anderson holds a one-shot lead over third-ranked Flagler after the first round of the Division II championship at Boulder Creek Golf Club near Las Vegas.

The first round of the national championship was a stark contrast to Anderson’s opening round in the South Regional.

The Trojans struggled early in the Regional, nearly playing themselves out of contention for a spot in this week’s championship.

After a poor start, Anderson improved—but entering the final round, the team trailed by 10 strokes with just four holes to play.

The Trojans played those final holes at 4-under par, securing third place in the South and a trip to the national championship.

This week, Anderson made it clear they had no intention of repeating that slow start.

They opened with three birdies on the first hole and finished the round with a team score of 280—8-under par.

Senior Zoey Iglesias led the team with a 5-under-par 67, tying for the individual lead with Torrie Bowman of CSU.

Aly Francis shot a 3-under 69 to tie for seventh, while Kennedy Gooding finished at 1-under and Paige Paolucci posted a 1-over round.

Senior Kennedy McGaha added a 75, providing the team with a solid fifth score if needed.

The NCAA Division II Championship continues with two more rounds of stroke play to determine the individual champion and set the matchups for the medal-match play championship.

Scores from the NCAA Division II Championship:
https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournaments/236629/scoring/team