General 5/9/2026 1:05:00 AM

Blinn men’s and women’s golf teams ready for national championships

The fourth-ranked Buccaneer women seek another historic finish in Illinois while No. 11 Blinn men head to national tournament in Kansas

General 5/9/2026 1:05:00 AM

Blinn men’s and women’s golf teams ready for national championships

The fourth-ranked Buccaneer women seek another historic finish in Illinois while No. 11 Blinn men head to national tournament in Kansas

The Blinn College men's and women's golf teams are set for the national stage.

Beginning Monday, May 11, the fourth-ranked Blinn women will compete in the four-round, 15-team NJCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship at Oakwood Country Club. The tournament concludes Thursday, May 14.

The Bucs earned an automatic bid by finishing second at the NJCAA Central District Championship on April 20 in Nacogdoches. They will make their third consecutive appearance in the national tournament and the third in program history.

Sophomore sisters Daniah and Abiha Syed, sophomore Lillie Webster, and freshmen Ava Murcer, Jacqueline Lawrence, and Arianna Rodriguez will compete for the Buccaneers as they look to surpass the program-best finish achieved in 2025.

Last season, Blinn placed fifth overall, with Daniah and Abiha Syed and Webster all contributing to the historic finish. One year later, the Bucs believe they have the experience and depth to take another step forward.

"Knowing what we were able to achieve last season combined with how much stronger this team is with our experience and the added skill levels of our freshmen, we think we really have a shot at winning the championship," Webster said.

Added Daniah Syed: "We're confident, and we feel like we have an improved team that understands what it takes to compete at a high level."

Blinn won six of the 11 tournaments it entered during the fall and spring seasons, while Daniah Syed — the 10th-ranked individual golfer in NJCAA Division I women's golf — earned four individual titles.

Also notable was Blinn's performance at the Riverbend Intercollegiate on March 9-10 in Sugar Land. The Buccaneers placed ninth in an NCAA Division I-heavy field and finished five strokes ahead of Odessa College, which currently holds the top spot in the NJCAA Division I women's golf rankings.

Blinn faced numerous NCAA programs throughout the fall and spring, challenges assistant coach Gary Belt believes will benefit the Bucs at the national meet.

"We've played a grueling schedule on purpose," Belt said. "We had some success, but we also had some tough performances against some really good programs. I think that's what you want for your team; you want them to experience difficult courses and difficult challenges that will prepare them for the toughest tournament of the season. I think the schedule we've played will allow our girls to take a more relaxed and confident approach come Monday."

The No. 11 Blinn men will compete in the four-round, 24-team NJCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship beginning Tuesday, May 12, at Sand Creek Station. Play wraps up on Friday, May 15.

Blinn earned an at-large bid and is making its fifth appearance in the national tournament.

The Bucs feature sophomores Cody Peters and Jaxson Daniele, who helped Blinn to a 17th-place finish in 2025. Sophomores Ben Potter and Adrian Rodriguez, along with freshmen Broc Talamantez and Brody Horsak, will also compete for Blinn.

"We just want the guys to go out and have fun and put all of the noise to the side," Blinn head coach David Johnson said. "It's four tough rounds, but we've played a lot of tough tournaments all year long, so nothing should surprise us. It's one round at a time, one day at a time, and we'll see what happens."

Between the fall and spring seasons, Blinn earned two team victories, while Potter claimed medalist honors at the Wildcat Invitational on Oct. 27-28 in Alexandria.

After Blinn shot 2-over par and finished fourth at the SouthCentral District Championship on April 27-28, Peters said the team is peaking at the right time. He added that the Bucs hope to outperform their national ranking and contend for a top-10 finish.

"We're confident right now, and that's as big a part of the game of golf as anything," Peters said. "We feel good about our chances and we intend to compete with the top teams at the tournament. Our main goal is to compete and forget about any preset expectations. We're going to take it one day at a time, not get too far ahead of ourselves, and focus on playing our best golf for four rounds."

Follow both tournaments live by visiting www.scoreboard.clippd.com.

Blinn has competed in intercollegiate athletics since 1903 and captured 53 national championships since 1987.

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Players Mentioned

Cody Peters: Sophomore

Jaxson Daniele: Sophomore

Adrian Rodriguez: Sophomore

Ben Potter: Sophomore

Broc Talamantez: Freshman

Brody Horsak: Freshman

Abiha Syed: Sophomore

Daniah Syed: Sophomore

Lillie Webster: Sophomore

Jacqueline Lawrence: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Cody Peters
: Sophomore

Jaxson Daniele
: Sophomore

Adrian Rodriguez
: Sophomore

Ben Potter
: Sophomore

Broc Talamantez
: Freshman

Brody Horsak
: Freshman

Abiha Syed
: Sophomore

Daniah Syed
: Sophomore

Lillie Webster
: Sophomore

Jacqueline Lawrence
: Freshman