Women’s Golf Shoots 300, Surges into Lead at NKU Spring Fling

Saturday, March 14

Vero Beach, Fla. (Sandridge GC)

11 a.m.

Bucknell University

NKU Spring Fling

Photo by: Dustin Terry

Women’s Golf Shoots 300, Surges into Lead at NKU Spring Fling

3/14/2026 7:14:00 PM | Women's Golf

RESULTS

VERO BEACH, Fla. – Led by a pair of 2-over-par 74s from Katherine Vice and Nicole Yun, the Bucknell women's golf team paced the field with a 300 second-round score and surged into first place at the NKU Spring Fling at Sandridge Country Club. The Bison also counted 76s from Sophia Bardunias and Joelle Johnson, and they will head into Sunday's final round with a five-shot lead over St. John's and a 13-stroke edge on third-place Northern Kentucky.

Bucknell started the day in second place, one shot behind the Red Storm, but the Bison outscored St. John's 300-306 on Saturday. In a round interrupted by a weather delay on the back nine, Bucknell's four counters did not have a hole worse than bogey all day and combined for nine birdies. Eight of those nine came on the final seven holes.

Also of note, indie Lila Smith backed up her opening-round 76 with a 1-over 73, and she will enter the final round in second place on the individual leaderboard, three shots behind Northern Kentucky's Ella Hardy. Smith bogeyed her first hole on Saturday and then made 17 straight pars. She now has 31 pars and five bogeys through 36 holes.

Smith is one of five Bison in the top 10. Bardunias (75-76) is T-4th, Johnson (77-76) and Vice (79-74) are T-7th, and Yun (81-74) is T-9th.

Vice and Yun both birdied the par-3 17th hole to highlight strong finishes. Vice was even on the back nine and 1-under over her final five holes. Yun birdied three of the final seven to offset a couple of bogeys. Bardunias rebounded from an outbound 41 to shoot a 1-under 35 on the back, including three birdies in her final six holes.

Hardy led the field with a 2-under 70 in round two. She carded a 3-under 33 on the front side and she will start Sunday's final round with a three-shot lead over Smith and a four-shot head start over teammate Eva Maley. Bradunias and St. John's Pihla Pennanen are five back.

The Bison will be vying four their fourth tournament win of the 2025-26 season. They won the Bucknell Invitational, the Battle at the Creek, and the Red Flash Invitational in the fall.