LITCHFIELD PARK, AZ – Grace Bell has etched her name in UBC Thunderbirds history, becoming the first T-Bird in over 30 years to win an individual title at an NCAA DI event while leading the team to its best finish at a DI tournament in at least a decade, second place at the Wigwam Preview.

Bell (215, -1) had a torrid finish to her final round, tallying four birdies in her final eight holes to snatch first place and pull away with a three-stroke win. Already the No.3-ranked individual player in the NAIA this season, Bell's accomplishment by claiming victory at the significantly higher NCAA DI level marks a historic achievement for the storied Thunderbirds golf program. The only other golfer to have won a DI event was UBC Hall of Famer Tracey Lipp, who claimed victory at the 1992 University of Wyoming Invitational, marking the first time a UBC golfer won an NCAA tournament at any level.

Bell was not the only UBC standout in the 51-player field, as Una Chou (222, +6) tied for sixth while Jessica Ng (226, +10) tied for 14^th.

The NAIA No.1-ranked Thunderbirds were the only non-NCAA DI school in the nine-team tournament, hosted by Utah Valley University. The T-Birds (+38) finished in a tie for second with Utah Tech (+38), eight strokes behind first place Tarleton State (+30).



The three round event began well for the 'Birds, as the team was +9 and one stroke behind Tarleton State after Sunday's opening 18. Chou (-1) was in medalist position after the first day, with Bell one stroke back and Ng one behind her.

Day two proved more difficult for the blue and gold as the team fired +20 to fall into fourth place, but still well within striking distance, at nine shots off of the lead. Bell (+1) was UBC's best that day, finishing eighth in the round and sitting in second on the player leaderboard, three strokes off of the lead.

Tuesday's finale saw UBC surge past California Baptist and into a tie with Utah Tech because of Bell's brilliance. Her final round of 70 (-2) was the best single 18 of anyone in the tournament, outperforming day two leader Jenna Anderson of Utah Tech by six strokes to turn a three-shot deficit into a three-shot victory and help her team earn an impressive second place in the event.



This is not the first taste of success for the T-Birds, and Bell, at an NCAA DI event this season. In October, UBC finished third at the Harbottle Invitational, with Bell taking fourth place individually, setting what was then the high watermark for the program at a top level tournament over the last 10 years, only to eclipse it months later.

The four-time defending Cascade Collegiate Conference Champion T-Birds are back in action in just a few days as they continue their quest to re-claim the NAIA crown in the spring. Next up is another NCAA DI event, the Soboba Spring Classic, hosted by UC Riverside. The seven-team tournament is a rare weekend competition on UBC's calendar, with one round each scheduled for Friday-Sunday at Soboba Springs Golf Course.