Maddie Montoya Selected for NCAA Regional in Gold Canyon
4/23/2025 6:12:00 PM | Women's Golf
Junior from Boise punches ticket with automatic berth thanks to win at Big Sky Championship, becomes first golfer from MSU to qualify for NCAA postseason
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- The stage is set. Maddie Montoya is dancing in the desert.
In the NCAA Regional Selection Show special aired on Golf Channel Wednesday morning, the junior learned she will play in the NCAA Gold Canyon Regional hosted by Arizona State at Superstition Mountain Golf & Country Club in Gold Canyon, Arizona.
Montoya, a native of Boise, Idaho, is the first golfer in Montana State history to qualify for the NCAA postseason and will compete in the program's first NCAA Regional across three 18-hole days from May 5-7 in Gold Canyon.
"We're absolutely thrilled to be going back to Arizona," head coach Brittany Basye said. "We play pretty much all spring in Arizona. Maddie knows the grasses, her yardages are dialed in for that area and she's used to the heat."
The NCAA Division I Women's Golf Committee selects the teams and individuals who participate in the regionals of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships.
Montoya clinched an automatic berth as an individual thanks to her thrilling win at the Big Sky Championship last week in Litchfield Park, Arizona.
"I was so excited to see I would be competing in Arizona and to see my name up on the screen," Montoya said. "I'm excited to go back to the desert and have the chance to compete at such an excellent course!"
Regional play takes place May 5-7 at six regional sites, with 396 participants and each site featuring 12 teams and six individuals. The top five teams (30 teams total) and the low individual not on an advancing team (six individuals total) from each regional site advance to compete in the national championships to be played May 16-21 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, California.
The teams playing in Montoya's regional in Gold Canyon include: Oregon, Arizona State, Auburn, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, California, Virginia Tech, San Jose State, Sacramento State, Cal State Fullerton, Navy, and Quinnipiac.
Montoya will be the sixth-seeded individual in her regional field behind No. 1Vivian Lu (Washington), No. 2 Jasmine Leovao (Long Beach State), No. 3 Janae Leovao (Long Beach State), No. 4 Jensen Jalufka (Cal Poly), and No. 5 Daniela Campillo (ULM).
"The field is strong and it is a great opportunity for Maddie to compete against players we normally don't play against," Basye said. "We are playing in May for the first time--that is so cool!"
Montoya, a three-year starter for the Cats, had never recorded a top-ten finish before embarking on a magical run at the Big Sky Championship last week, carding three straight rounds under par (70-70-69) to finish 4-under for the tournament and become Montana State's third all-time Big Sky champion, joining Paige Crawford (2013) and Jen McGregor (1995).
"It means a lot to me to have this experience to be able to represent Montana State and the community of Bozeman at such a special event," Montoya said. "I'm looking forward to giving it my all and am super grateful for the opportunity to represent the Bobcats in Arizona."
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