Photo by: Mississippi State Athletics
Recapping the 2021-2022 Campaign for Women’s Golf
July 16, 2022 | Women's Golf
STARKVILLE- Throughout the impressive 2021-22 season, the Mississippi State women's golf program showcased the talented roster with stellar team and individual performances. The 2021-2022 campaign was capped with a trip to Scottsdale to compete in the 2022 Division 1 NCAA Women's Golf Championships.
Heading into his first full season as the Bulldogs head coach after taking over the program in December of 2020, Charlie Ewing added Lauryn Whyte as an assistant coach on July 12, 2021. Whyte came to Starkville from Indiana where she spent two seasons as the Hoosier's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
Coach Ewing ushered in a new era of Bulldog golf in the 2021-2022 season in his full calendar year as head coach.
State competed in 12 events as a team, placing in the top five four times while earning three top 10 finishes, highlighted by a team championship at the Westbrook Invitational. Mississippi State concluded the year ranked 31st by both Golf Stat and Golfweek.
The Bulldog's fall slate was closed out at home when the team hosted 'The Ally' at their home course, the nationally known Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss. The Ally is an event named after former Mississippi State star, Ally McDonald Ewing. During her time at State, McDonald was recognized as an All-American, All-SEC player that set numerous program records.
In the 2021 edition of The Ally, the Bulldogs finished in fourth place, posting the sixth lowest score in program history with a 7-under par (857). State was led by Lopez Ramirez who tied for sixth with a score of 7-under par. Blair Stockett finished with a three-day total of 2-under par after sinking four straight birdies in the final round. Hannah Levi sunk an eagle on Hole 15 in the final round to join Stockett in 11th place. Competing individually, Lauren Miller shot 1-over par (73) on the final day to finish tied for 44th at 8-over par (224). Competing in her final event, graduate Valeria Mendizabal, finished with a score 8-over par (224) to tie for 44th. Ana Pina Ortega carded a score of 4-over par (76) in the final round to bring her total to 15-over par (231). Jarutrawee Khotchagrai rounded out the scoring individually for the Bulldogs tied for 67th with a score of 19-over par (235).
The Westbrook Invitational is an annual tournament hosted by the University of Wisconsin that takes place in the Grand Canyon State. The 6,230-yard, par-72 Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz. set the stage for the two-day event. The Bulldogs, who entered the tournament as the reigning champions, did not disappoint in their quest to repeat, capturing their first team title since the 2020 Westbrook Invitational Championship.
The Bulldogs returned to Starkville with two trophies as they captured both the team and individual titles in the 2022 Westbrook Invitational. The Bulldogs were led by Julia Lopez Ramirez who delivered three straight rounds in the 60s throughout the tournament including two straight rounds of 68 to secure the title shooting 11-under par (205). Ashley Gilliam secured a top-10 finish shooting 3 rounds of par or better. Gilliam sunk 40 pars throughout the tournament to finish tied for ninth with a score of 4-under par (212). Blair Stockett finished tied for 30th with a three-day total of 219 to finish 3-over. Ana Pina Ortega tied for 30th with a final tally of 3-over par. Hannah Levi rounded out the scoring for State as she finished 4-over par (220).
Mississippi State opened the first round of its Spring season with a bang, stringing together top-four finishes in four straight events (The Ally, Paradise Invitational, Westbrook Invitational and The Gator). The spring portion of the calendar opened with the 2022 Paradise Invitational. As a team, State broke the record for the lowest first round in school history with 15-under par (273). State's 15-under par is also the second-lowest round in team history (18-under par in 2020). MSU finished third shooting 23-under par (841) for the tournament. (23-under par is the second-lowest team score after 54 holes in school history.) The Bulldogs were led by Lopez Ramirez who captured the individual title after breaking the record for the lowest opening round in school history (8-under par), lowest score after 36 holes (13-under par) and lowest score after 54-holes (16-under par). Blair Stockett tied for seventh with a score of 7-under par, while Hannah Levi tied for 26th with an even-par.
The 50th Annual VyStar Gators Invitational featured a talented field of 13 of the 15 teams competing being ranked in the top-50. Led by a pair of top-five performances from Hannah Levi and Lopez Ramiez, the Bulldogs finished fourth. Levi sunk 38 pars throughout the tournament (fourth-most) and remained in the top-10 throughout the entirety of the event to finish tied for fourth with 2-over par (212). Lopez Ramirez used a third round in the 60s to climb the leaderboard to tie for fourth alongside Levi. The duo of Gilliam and Stockett added a pair of top-30 finishes to help the Bulldogs. Gilliam finished tied for 22nd with a final tally of 7-over par (217). Stockett finished tied for 26th with 8-over par (218). Gilliam and Stockett both carded 37 pars throughout the event (fifth-most).
Upon the completion of the regular season, the Bulldogs punched their ticket to the postseason for the 11th time when they were selected as one of 12 teams chosen to compete at the 2022 Tallahassee Regional as the sixth seed.
Throughout the Tallahassee Regional, State was led by the performance of Gilliam. In the first round, Gilliam birdied three of her first five holes before sinking four birdies on the back nine to secure a score of 3-under par (69). After the second round, Gilliam finished tied for third heading into the final round. With a trip to the NCAA Championships on the line, MSU used a valiant team effort to place in the top four and advance to the season's final women's golf tournament.
Down the stretch in the final nine holes of the regional, the Bulldogs found themselves tied with No. 29 Miami for fourth place. State scored an even-par on the last six holes as a team to build a five-stroke cushion and secure the fourth-place finish needed to advance to the NCAA Championships. State concluded the three-day event by shooting a team score of 27-over par (891).
With State's advancement to the NCAA Championships, head coach Charlie Ewing became the first Mississippi State women's golf head coach to advance to the championship round in their first full season as head coach. Ewing is just the second coach in MSU history to make the NCAA Championship Round in their NCAA Tournament debut.
Individually, freshman standout Lopez Ramirez used her debut season with the Bulldogs to shine. In her collegiate debut at the Sam Golden Invite, Lopez Ramirez shattered the Wildhorse Golf Club course record, carding a 63 (9-under par) third round to tie for first place. She set three new Bulldog records in her debut, posting the lowest individual round (9-under par), lowest score after 54 holes (14-under par), and lowest third-round individual score (9-under par).
Lopez Ramirez shined again in the spring opener, breaking the record for the lowest opening (second-lowest individual) round in school history with an 8-under par performance. After 36 holes, Lopez Ramirez had broken the school record for the lowest score after two rounds (13-under par), and after the third round, she broke the lowest score after 54 holes with a score of 16-under par to capture her second tournament title.
Lopez Ramirez won her second-straight, third overall crown in the next event, carding three rounds in the 60s and shooting 11-under par. Lopez Ramirez secured the first team and individual title in the same event since 2014.
Lopez Ramirez earned numerous awards this season for her play on the golf course. On the conference side, Lopez Ramirez was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, earned First Team All-SEC honors and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. On the national side, Lopez Ramirez was also named to the WGCA All-America Honorable Mention team and was on the WGCA National Freshman of the Year watch list.
Lopez Ramirez ended the 2021-2022 season ranked No. 22 in the Golf Stat NCAA Women's Division I Player Rankings. She led the SEC in Weekly honors throughout the season as she was selected as the SEC Golfer of the Week and SEC Freshman of the Week twice. Lopez Ramirez led all SEC freshmen in wins (3) and stroke average (70.59) throughout her freshman campaign.
Blair Stockett concluded her impressive Bulldog career in 2021-22. Throughout her career, Stockett competed in 45 tournaments. Stockett secured 34 par or better rounds as a Bulldog. Stockett secured her best finish in the 2019-2020 Magnolia Invitational, finishing tied for third. Stockett also finished top 10 five times and top 20 eleven times throughout her career. Stockett ends her Bulldog career fifth all-time in stroke average (74.61) and in rounds in the 60s (7).
This season, Stockett competed in all 12 events where she secured a stroke average of 73.8 over 36 rounds. Stockett tied her lowest round as a Bulldog with 66 in the third round of the 2021 Mason Rudolph Championship. Stockett carded 10 par or better rounds this season with her best finish coming in the 2022 Paradise Invitational where she finished tied for seventh.
The Bulldogs will return to the course in the fall. Future schedule announcements will come later in the Summer.
2021-2022 Women's Golf Extras:
2021 Mason Rudolph Championship: The Bulldogs carded 13-under par in the third round.
- Hannah Levi Heading into the 2022-2023 Season…
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's golf on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWG."
Heading into his first full season as the Bulldogs head coach after taking over the program in December of 2020, Charlie Ewing added Lauryn Whyte as an assistant coach on July 12, 2021. Whyte came to Starkville from Indiana where she spent two seasons as the Hoosier's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
Coach Ewing ushered in a new era of Bulldog golf in the 2021-2022 season in his full calendar year as head coach.
State competed in 12 events as a team, placing in the top five four times while earning three top 10 finishes, highlighted by a team championship at the Westbrook Invitational. Mississippi State concluded the year ranked 31st by both Golf Stat and Golfweek.
The Bulldog's fall slate was closed out at home when the team hosted 'The Ally' at their home course, the nationally known Old Waverly Golf Course in West Point, Miss. The Ally is an event named after former Mississippi State star, Ally McDonald Ewing. During her time at State, McDonald was recognized as an All-American, All-SEC player that set numerous program records.
In the 2021 edition of The Ally, the Bulldogs finished in fourth place, posting the sixth lowest score in program history with a 7-under par (857). State was led by Lopez Ramirez who tied for sixth with a score of 7-under par. Blair Stockett finished with a three-day total of 2-under par after sinking four straight birdies in the final round. Hannah Levi sunk an eagle on Hole 15 in the final round to join Stockett in 11th place. Competing individually, Lauren Miller shot 1-over par (73) on the final day to finish tied for 44th at 8-over par (224). Competing in her final event, graduate Valeria Mendizabal, finished with a score 8-over par (224) to tie for 44th. Ana Pina Ortega carded a score of 4-over par (76) in the final round to bring her total to 15-over par (231). Jarutrawee Khotchagrai rounded out the scoring individually for the Bulldogs tied for 67th with a score of 19-over par (235).
The Westbrook Invitational is an annual tournament hosted by the University of Wisconsin that takes place in the Grand Canyon State. The 6,230-yard, par-72 Westbrook Village Golf Club in Peoria, Ariz. set the stage for the two-day event. The Bulldogs, who entered the tournament as the reigning champions, did not disappoint in their quest to repeat, capturing their first team title since the 2020 Westbrook Invitational Championship.
The Bulldogs returned to Starkville with two trophies as they captured both the team and individual titles in the 2022 Westbrook Invitational. The Bulldogs were led by Julia Lopez Ramirez who delivered three straight rounds in the 60s throughout the tournament including two straight rounds of 68 to secure the title shooting 11-under par (205). Ashley Gilliam secured a top-10 finish shooting 3 rounds of par or better. Gilliam sunk 40 pars throughout the tournament to finish tied for ninth with a score of 4-under par (212). Blair Stockett finished tied for 30th with a three-day total of 219 to finish 3-over. Ana Pina Ortega tied for 30th with a final tally of 3-over par. Hannah Levi rounded out the scoring for State as she finished 4-over par (220).
Mississippi State opened the first round of its Spring season with a bang, stringing together top-four finishes in four straight events (The Ally, Paradise Invitational, Westbrook Invitational and The Gator). The spring portion of the calendar opened with the 2022 Paradise Invitational. As a team, State broke the record for the lowest first round in school history with 15-under par (273). State's 15-under par is also the second-lowest round in team history (18-under par in 2020). MSU finished third shooting 23-under par (841) for the tournament. (23-under par is the second-lowest team score after 54 holes in school history.) The Bulldogs were led by Lopez Ramirez who captured the individual title after breaking the record for the lowest opening round in school history (8-under par), lowest score after 36 holes (13-under par) and lowest score after 54-holes (16-under par). Blair Stockett tied for seventh with a score of 7-under par, while Hannah Levi tied for 26th with an even-par.
The 50th Annual VyStar Gators Invitational featured a talented field of 13 of the 15 teams competing being ranked in the top-50. Led by a pair of top-five performances from Hannah Levi and Lopez Ramiez, the Bulldogs finished fourth. Levi sunk 38 pars throughout the tournament (fourth-most) and remained in the top-10 throughout the entirety of the event to finish tied for fourth with 2-over par (212). Lopez Ramirez used a third round in the 60s to climb the leaderboard to tie for fourth alongside Levi. The duo of Gilliam and Stockett added a pair of top-30 finishes to help the Bulldogs. Gilliam finished tied for 22nd with a final tally of 7-over par (217). Stockett finished tied for 26th with 8-over par (218). Gilliam and Stockett both carded 37 pars throughout the event (fifth-most).
Upon the completion of the regular season, the Bulldogs punched their ticket to the postseason for the 11th time when they were selected as one of 12 teams chosen to compete at the 2022 Tallahassee Regional as the sixth seed.
Throughout the Tallahassee Regional, State was led by the performance of Gilliam. In the first round, Gilliam birdied three of her first five holes before sinking four birdies on the back nine to secure a score of 3-under par (69). After the second round, Gilliam finished tied for third heading into the final round. With a trip to the NCAA Championships on the line, MSU used a valiant team effort to place in the top four and advance to the season's final women's golf tournament.
Down the stretch in the final nine holes of the regional, the Bulldogs found themselves tied with No. 29 Miami for fourth place. State scored an even-par on the last six holes as a team to build a five-stroke cushion and secure the fourth-place finish needed to advance to the NCAA Championships. State concluded the three-day event by shooting a team score of 27-over par (891).
With State's advancement to the NCAA Championships, head coach Charlie Ewing became the first Mississippi State women's golf head coach to advance to the championship round in their first full season as head coach. Ewing is just the second coach in MSU history to make the NCAA Championship Round in their NCAA Tournament debut.
Individually, freshman standout Lopez Ramirez used her debut season with the Bulldogs to shine. In her collegiate debut at the Sam Golden Invite, Lopez Ramirez shattered the Wildhorse Golf Club course record, carding a 63 (9-under par) third round to tie for first place. She set three new Bulldog records in her debut, posting the lowest individual round (9-under par), lowest score after 54 holes (14-under par), and lowest third-round individual score (9-under par).
Lopez Ramirez shined again in the spring opener, breaking the record for the lowest opening (second-lowest individual) round in school history with an 8-under par performance. After 36 holes, Lopez Ramirez had broken the school record for the lowest score after two rounds (13-under par), and after the third round, she broke the lowest score after 54 holes with a score of 16-under par to capture her second tournament title.
Lopez Ramirez won her second-straight, third overall crown in the next event, carding three rounds in the 60s and shooting 11-under par. Lopez Ramirez secured the first team and individual title in the same event since 2014.
Lopez Ramirez earned numerous awards this season for her play on the golf course. On the conference side, Lopez Ramirez was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, earned First Team All-SEC honors and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. On the national side, Lopez Ramirez was also named to the WGCA All-America Honorable Mention team and was on the WGCA National Freshman of the Year watch list.
Lopez Ramirez ended the 2021-2022 season ranked No. 22 in the Golf Stat NCAA Women's Division I Player Rankings. She led the SEC in Weekly honors throughout the season as she was selected as the SEC Golfer of the Week and SEC Freshman of the Week twice. Lopez Ramirez led all SEC freshmen in wins (3) and stroke average (70.59) throughout her freshman campaign.
Blair Stockett concluded her impressive Bulldog career in 2021-22. Throughout her career, Stockett competed in 45 tournaments. Stockett secured 34 par or better rounds as a Bulldog. Stockett secured her best finish in the 2019-2020 Magnolia Invitational, finishing tied for third. Stockett also finished top 10 five times and top 20 eleven times throughout her career. Stockett ends her Bulldog career fifth all-time in stroke average (74.61) and in rounds in the 60s (7).
This season, Stockett competed in all 12 events where she secured a stroke average of 73.8 over 36 rounds. Stockett tied her lowest round as a Bulldog with 66 in the third round of the 2021 Mason Rudolph Championship. Stockett carded 10 par or better rounds this season with her best finish coming in the 2022 Paradise Invitational where she finished tied for seventh.
The Bulldogs will return to the course in the fall. Future schedule announcements will come later in the Summer.
2021-2022 Women's Golf Extras:
2021 Mason Rudolph Championship: The Bulldogs carded 13-under par in the third round.
- 13-under tied the lowest third-round score in history (first time the Bulldogs have shot 13-under in the third round since 2013.)
- 13-under par third-round score is the second-lowest round in history at MSU.
- Hannah Levi Heading into the 2022-2023 Season…
- Ranked fourth all-time in par or better rounds (31).
- Ranked third all-time in stroke average (min.45 rounds) with 74.06.
- Ranked eighth all-time in rounds in the '60s (5).
- Ashley Gilliam Heading into the 2022-2023 Season…
- Ranked seventh all-time in rounds in the '60s (6).
- Ranked ninth all-time in par or better rounds (20).
- Julia Lopez Ramirez Heading into the 2022-2023 Season…
- Ranked third all-time in rounds in the '60s (10).
- Ranked seventh all-time in par or better rounds (21).
For the most up-to-date information on the Bulldogs, follow MSU women's golf on Twitter, like them on Facebook, and join them on Instagram by searching for "HailStateWG."
– HailState.com –
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