Washington State University Women's Golf

Kamimura led junior Alivia Brown to a career-best second-place finish at the Golfweek Conference Challenge, Sept. 26-28. During the 2015-16 season, Kamimura led the Cougars to a conference-championship team record for the lowest three-round and single-round totals at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships. Kamimura also led two golfers into the WSU all-time top-5 for scoring average as sophomore Alivia Brown averaged 73.85 strokes per round (second all-time) and junior Cherokee Kim averaged 74.20 strokes per round (fourth all-time). In addition to the athletic success of the 2015-16 team, three Cougars were named as Womens Collegiate Golf All-American scholars. Senior Nani Yanagi, sophomore Alivia Brown, and freshman Madison Odiorne received these honors.  During her sixth season at the helm of the Washington State University womens golf team, Kelli Kamimura led the Cougars to their lowest team scoring average in school history. The WSU women averaged 299.45 strokes per round, while freshman Alivia Brown earned a bid to the NCAA St. George Regional, becoming the first WSU freshman to qualify as an individual. Kamimura coached Brown to a career-best sixth-place finish and a berth into the NCAA Championships, the second appearance for the Cougars in program history. At the 2014 WSU Cougar Cup, Kamimura led the Cougars to their fifth tournament win in as many years. WSU carded a three-round 867, the third-best 54-hole total in school history. Kamimura guided two golfers into the WSU all-time top-5 for scoring average as senior Kristen Rue averaged 74.36 strokes per round (third all-time) and freshman Alivia Brown averaged 74.74 (fifth all-time). In addition to the athletic success of the 2014-15 team, five Cougars earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors. Junior Rachel Lewis was named to the first team for the second-consecutive season. Fellow junior Nani Yanagi earned second team honors. Seniors Kristen Rue and Lindsay Harmon, as well as sophomore Cherokee Kim earned honorable mention. The 2012-13 squad finished second or third in four events while Kristen Rue was named Pac-12 All-Academic Second team to lead three Cougars honored for their work in the classroom. Rue also won the Cougar Cup in the fall. Following the season, Kent was crowned champion of the Washington State Womens Amateur Championship. The Cougars captured a pair of tournament titles in 2011-12. Washington State took home the hardware at the Circling Raven Collegiate Invitational, the season-opening event in Worley, Idaho, and The Anteater Invitational hosted by UC Irvine in March. During the second victory, Mallory Kent led the way with an individual title. Kristen Allard was a second team all-conference academic to highlight three Cougars selected. In 2010-11, Kamimura continued her plan of collecting young talent and allowing them to gain experience in the premier golf conference in the nation. The results included four top-10 finishes highlighted by a one-stroke victory over Washington to claim the 2010 Cougar Cup. Other top-10 finishes included the Circling Raven Collegiate Cup (7th), Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational (eighth) and Peg Barnard Invitational (ninth). The Cougars capped the year by placing four on the Pac-10 All-Academic team, led by senior Allison Travis, who was a first-team selection. In her first season with the Cougars, Kamimura guided a young squad comprising of three freshmen, a sophomore and a redshirt junior to a second-place finish at the Giustina Memorial. WSU also placed two individuals on the Pacific-10 Conference All-Academic Teams. Kamimura arrived at Washington from Pepperdine University. She began her tenure with Pepperdine in January 2006, as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate womens golf coach in August 2007. Kamimura helped lead Pepperdine to six-consecutive West Coast Conference Championships (2004-09) and four top-10 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including a third-place effort in 2006. Kamimuras 2008 squad set an NCAA record for lowest three-round team score, shooting 41-under-par at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown. Prior to joining Pepperdines staff, Kamimura served as the assistant womens golf coach at Washington, her alma mater, from August 2002 through December 2003. A four-year letterwinner and a two-year team captain during her collegiate career, Kamimura was a National Golf Coaches Association All-America Second Team selection as a junior in 2001 and was named honorable mention as a freshman in 1999. She received All-Pacific-10 Conference recognition all four years, garnering first-team honors in both 1999 and 2001. She was also a three-time honoree on the Pac-10 All-Academic Team (2000-02). Kamimura led the Huskies to five tournament victories and two NCAA Championship berths, and still holds the schools record for most individual tournament victories (four). She was also selected to represent the United States in the 1999 and 2002 US-Japan Cup Matches. During her high school career, Kamimura captured the state championship four times and led Sedro Woolley to the team title in 1997 with her sister Jenny Swanson. She won two state titles as a competitor in the Washington Junior Golf Association, was a multiple first-team American Junior Golf Association All-America honoree and a was member of the Canon Cup team. Kamimura graduated from Washington in 2002 with a bachelors in communication, and completed her masters in business administration from Pepperdine in 2008

Betland helped lead the Cougars to a conference-championship team record for the lowest three-round and single-round totals at the 2016 Pac-12 Championships. Betland also helped lead two golfers into the WSU all-time top-5 for scoring average as sophomore Alivia Brown averaged 73.85 strokes per round (second all-time) and junior Cherokee Kim averaged 74.20 strokes per round (fourth all-time). In addition to the athletic success of the 2015-16 team, three Cougars were named as Womens Collegiate Golf All-American scholars. Senior Nani Yanagi, sophomore Alivia Brown, and freshman Madison Odiorne received these honors. During her first season as the assistant coach for the Washington State University womens golf team, Betland helped lead the Cougars to their lowest team scoring average in school history. The WSU women averaged 299.45 strokes per round, while freshman Alivia Brown earned a bid to the NCAA St. George Regional, becoming the first WSU freshman to qualify as an individual. Betland guided Brown to a career-best sixth-place finish and a berth into the NCAA Championships, the second appearance for the Cougars in program history. At the 2014 WSU Cougar Cup, the Cougars earned their lone tournament title of the season. WSU carded a three-round 867, the third-best 54-hole total in school history. Under Betlands guidance, two golfers finished with scoring averages in the WSU all-time top-5. Senior Kristen Rue averaged 74.36 strokes per round (third all-time) and freshman Alivia Brown averaged 74.74 (fifth all-time). In addition to the athletic success of the 2014-15 team, five Cougars earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors. Junior Rachel Lewis was named to the first team for the second-consecutive season. Fellow junior Nani Yanagi earned second team honors. Seniors Kristen Rue and Lindsay Harmon, as well as sophomore Cherokee Kim earned honorable mention. A 2013 graduate of Washington State, Betland was a four-year letterwinner for the Cougars from 2010-13. The Australian native led Washington State in scoring average during her freshman and sophomore campaigns. She finished in the top 25 in 13 tournaments during her career. A conference academic honorable mention selection, Betland spent the first year after graduation in her native country.

Former Washington State Women’s Golf standout Darcy Habgood is returning to the program as an assistant coach, head coach Kevin Tucker announced July 9. In f...