SIOUX FALLS – After the CoVID-19 pandemic wiped away the end of the 2020 season, senior Lexi Hanson wanted one more chance to play another season with her teammates and take a shot at making NCAA regionals a third time. After the NCAA announced extended eligibility relief to spring sport athletes, Hanson took advantage and has had a memorable if not historic season at USF.
 
After winning a third individual title, leading USF to a program-best second place finish at the 2021 NSIC Championships with a program-best second place individual placing, and recording the best scoring average in the NSIC for the second straight year, Hanson has left a mark of success at USF. Now she gets one more try to earn a berth at the NCAA Nationals. On Monday in St. Joseph, Mo., she will compete at the NCAA DII Regionals for a third time, becoming the second USF player (Tavia Rutherford, 2013-15) to earn that achievement.
 
"This season has meant so much to me. I was just so happy to be able to compete again and play the sport I love," said Hanson, who earlier this week was named the USF Female Student Athlete of the Year. "I have made some lifetime memories from this season. Winning a third tournament with family, friends and teammates supporting me is the coolest thing," she said.
 
Hanson is one of two NSIC individuals selected to participate in the NCAA Regional as an individual, along with MacKayla Olsen of Upper Iowa.  The NCAA Division II women's golf regional competition will be conducted May 3-5 with the Central Region Tournament set for St. Joseph Country Club in St. Joseph, Mo. Each site will consist of both team and individual competition conducted concurrently with nine teams and four individuals from non-qualifying teams at each site.

All participants will compete through the 54 holes of competition on the par 71, 6,582 yard court at the St. Joseph Country Club. A total of 49 players, including nine teams and four individuals, will compete. To follow along, click here for live scoring. The top three teams along with the top three individuals not with a team from each super regional will advance to the championships. The championships will be held May 11-15 at TPC Michigan in Dearborn, Michigan. The number of participants that qualify for the finals is 72.

Hanson joins USF Head Coach Tavia Rutherford as the only USF golfer to advance to back-to-back-to-back NCAA DII regional. Rutherford qualified for three straight years from 2013-15.
 
Rutherford is proud of Hanson for her consistency and leadership for the USF program, which placed second as team for the first time in program history at the 2021 NSIC Championships.
 
"Lexi is very deserving of this regional selection," said Rutherford, of Hanson, who placed a program-best second individually at the NSIC Championships and earned All-NSIC Tourney honors. "She is one of the hardest workers that I know and she is committed to winning every time she steps onto the golf course. Lexi had a great regular season with a tournament win and three second placed finishes while lead the NSIC in scoring average."
 
Through 17 rounds in 2021, Hanson has the NSIC's top scoring average by a full two strokes. Hanson, who has won three career titles, sits at 77.2.  A three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, including twice named to the NSIC Academic Team of Excellence for a grade point average of 3.6 or better, Hanson has twice been named All-NSIC and was the 2021 NSIC Preseason Golfer of the Year. Hanson, a psychology/criminal justice/sociology/social sciences major from Chanhassen, Minn., has 30 top-20, three individual titles and 22 top-10 finishes. This year alone she has placed in the top-five four times.

Hanson had a program and personal-best of 141 (74-67) at the MIAA Fall Preview (Sept. 24-25, 2019). She registered a program-best round of 67 on day two of the MIAA Preview last fall (Sept. 24-25, 2019) when she won her first career tourney. This year, she has had a top round of one-over par 73 at the Augustana Spring Invite, a tournament she won on April 18. Her top two-round total is a four-over par 148 (73-75) on April 17-18. 

During her stellar career, Hanson has accumulated nine NSIC Athlete of the Week honors, including four in 2021. A recipient of the Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction honor, she is one of two golfers at USF with two top-10 finishes at the NSIC Championships.

With opportunity in front of her, Hanson hopes to make the best of it.

"My goal is to qualify for Nationals. Of course my goal is to win the tournament, but I know that is a big task at hand although I am up for the challenge," said Hanson. "I have been having very specific practices where I am working on the weaknesses of my game so when it comes time for competition I am ready to go," she said.