GAINESVILLE, Ga. – After 36 holes in the 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Golf South Regional, the No. 15 University of North Georgia (UNG) women's golf team sits in fourth place in the 18-team tournament at Chattahoochee Golf Club (CGC) in Gainesville, Ga. 

Hosting the tournament for the second time in three years, the Nighthawks are off to a blazing hot start in their first ever instance of competing in the event. 

At a combined 16-over par, UNG is in fourth place after two rounds in the event. No. 3 Flagler leads the field with a one-shot lead at 7-over. No. 8 Nova Southeastern trails the Saints in second place with No. 6 Lynn standing in third at 14-over, two shots ahead of the Nighthawks.

UNG currently holds the final spot to advance to the 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championship May 13-17 at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada. Just behind the Nighthawks at 17-over are No. 21 Lander and No. 13 Rollins in a tie for fifth place. 

Head coach Sierra Campbell's team put together a 9-over round on Tuesday, aided by an impressive run on the front nine. The squad played holes 1-9 at 2-under to hold the lead in the tournament as they made the turn.
 
UNG particularly exploded by dominating the sixth hole. First on the course Tuesday, senior Ellie Rippee set the tone. 

She pounded a drive down the left side of the fairway past her competition. She measured the distance on her second shot at 182 yards on the reachable 548-yard par-5. 

With the longest drive of the group and a good angle to attack a back right pin location, Rippee was firmly in the "go zone" to reach the green in two shots. She reached for a hybrid and lined up a planned 160-yard shot. As is rarely the case in golf, things went according to plan for Rippee. Her ball flew straight at the pin and landed on the front face of the green. It's low flight angle caused it to skip towards the hole and begin rolling up the knoll in the putting surface that protected the deep pin. 

The local fans in attendance began congregating around the sixth green as rumor spread of a possibly low number at the exciting par-5. Rippee approached the green and witnessed a 7-foot putt that was scheduled to slide from left-to-right on its path to the hole. The proud McKinney, Texas native has struggled with "slider" putts like this one in the past, as do many right-handed golfers. However, insistent on appeasing the on-lookers, Rippee knew she had to put a good stroke on the eagle opportunity. 

She struck the ball and silence consumed the sixth green as it tracked towards the hole. Texans like Rippee are not afraid to remind you that "everything is bigger" where they come from. That includes the birds. She carded a big bird of her own as the eagle putt dropped in the cup and the crowd cheered. Rippee thanked the crowd and strutted off the sixth green, setting the tone for her teammates behind her. 

Junior Cora Mount stepped up next and landed her approach shot on the front of the green after finding another fairway in regulation. With a 30-foot, uphill putt in front of her, Mount rolled a beautiful lag putt, leaving herself with a five-footer for birdie. She too dropped it in.

Then came the rookie. Freshman Ellie Jane Riner overshot the pin on her approach shot but was on the dance floor with an eagle putt. She also rolled it close and finished the birdie to continue the streak. 

Fellow underclassman Abby Franks was behind Riner, waiting her turn to go at the short par-5. The sophomore recorded her first birdie of the day as well. UNG had played the hole at 5-under through four players. However, the Nighthawks were not finished.

Senior Jadin Ware did not have the same fortune off the tee as her predecessors. Her drive landed in the left rough and her approach shot was interrupted by a tree in her path to the green. The lefty curled a layup around the tree and into the fairway, leaving herself a 58-yard shot to the hole. She stuck it close and completed the team-wide hot streak by sinking another birdie putt. Five golfers combined to go six shots below par at the par-5 6th. 

Rippee finished the day with a pristine 3-under 69. Her eagle at 6 was one of three among the entire field on the day. There have been a total of five eagles in the tournament through the first 36 holes of play. The Nighthawks possess two of them with Franks' ace at the par-3 3rd in round one, and Rippee's eagle on Tuesday. Rippee climbed a staggering 31 spots on the leaderboard to land in 10th place at 1-over for the tournament. 

Ware had the second-best day for the Nighthawks behind her senior teammate as she carded a 1-over 73 with five birdies in round two. She sits in 33rd place individually at 6-over in total after ascending 19 spots among the 96-player field Tuesday. 

Franks finished the second round with a 79 and resides at 3-over par in total for the week. She holds 13th place heading into the final round. 

Riner's 4-over 76 on Tuesday helped her to a 33rd-place standing as she is in a tie with Ware and seven other competitors. 

Mount will tee off first for the Nighthawks in round three at 11:40 a.m. on the final day of the regional. Rippee closes the day out and will take the course at 12:20 p.m. Wednesday.