Nova Southeastern won its first Division II Women’s Golf Championships on Saturday by 15 strokes over Grand Valley State.

The championship was played at the Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio.

The top-ranked Sharks won their first golf title with three low rounds down the stretch (302, 307 and 307) to overtake first-round leader Tarleton State and widen a 10-shot margin over third-round runner-up Indianapolis heading into the final round. Their second-round 302 was a tournament low.

“This is not just a women’s golf team championship,” said Sharks coach Kevin Marsh. “This is a complete athletics department championship. Everyone had a role in helping us reach this point.”

Sandra Changkija led the Sharks with consistent rounds of 76, 74, and two 75s to tie for second in the individual standings with Pfeiffer’s Charlene Reid, playing in the tournament as an individual. They were both two shots behind medalist Lyndsay McBride of Indianapolis, who went 74-75 to start the tournament and then fired an even-par 72 in the third round and a 77 in the final round. Reid and Changkija posted 73 and 75, respectively, over the final 18 holes.

“The way the course was set up and with the weather conditions the way they were, this was definitely the toughest course we have played this season,” Marsh said. “After an average first day, we followed with a great next day by making up about 30 strokes over the course of 36 holes to lead by 10 heading into the final round of play. We felt Rollins was the team to beat, and getting off to a great start in round four was big for us. The experience we gained by coming in second at last year’s tournament really paid off.”

Changkija agreed with her coach about the experience factor. “We were inexperienced last year, and the experience we gained from that tournament was great for us to draw upon today in the final round. We didn’t really feel the nervousness and pressure that we felt a year ago,” she said.

The Sharks held the top ranking in the nation from wire to wire. Nova Southeastern won seven of 11 tournaments, including the Division II South Regional and the national championship.

In the race for medalist honors, McBride started the final day with a two-stroke lead, and though she bogeyed five of the first 11 holes, she carded seven straight pars to edge Changkija and Reid.

Reid shared low-round-of-the-tournament honors with a first-round 70 but followed that with an 80 in round two.

Rounds two and three were played Friday after rain washed out Thursday’s second round.

California (Pennsylvania) senior Simone DeSouza finished fourth, followed by Indianapolis senior Kristi Piepenbrink and Florida Tech senior Daniela Iacobelli, who won medalist honors in 2007. Last year’s titlist, Joanna Coe of Rollins, tied for ninth with a 78 and three 77s.

Defending champion Rollins tied for third in the team standings with Indianapolis (the Greyhounds’ best finish), followed by four-time champion Florida Southern in fifth.

Tarleton State rode Carla Cooper’s first-round 70 to post a 301 in the opening round and hold a six-shot advantage over Indianapolis but followed that with a 320 in round two.

Team results

1. Nova Southeastern, 314-302-307-307 -- 1,230; 2. Grand Valley St., 310-309-317-309 -- 1,245; 3. (tie) Rollins, 309-315-310-314 -- 1,248; and Indianapolis, 307-311-315-315 -- 1,248; 5. Fla. Southern, 320-307-320-311 -- 1,258; 6. (tie) Ferris St., 316-318-319-322 -- 1,275; and Tarleton St., 301-320-324-330 -- 1,275; 8. Upper Iowa, 321-329-322-331 -- 1,303; 9. (tie) West Tex. A&M, 329-326-329-334 -- 1,318; and Concordia-St. Paul, 315-323-334-346 -- 1,318; 11. Augustana (S.D.), 338-343-329-344 -- 1,354; 12. Cal St. Chico, 334-344-337-346 -- 1,361.

Individual results

1. Lyndsay McBride, Indianapolis, 74-75-72-77 -- 298; 2. (tie) Sandra Changkija, Nova Southeastern, 76-74-75-75 -- 300; and Charlene Reid, Pfeiffer, 70-80-77-73 -- 300; 4. Simone DeSouza, California (Pa.), 75-77-76-75 -- 303; 5. Kristi Piepenbrink, Indianapolis, 77-74-76-77 -- 304; 6. Daniela Iacobelli, Florida Tech, 74-80-73-78 -- 305; 7. (tie) Maria Garcia Austt, Nova Southeastern, 82-74-77-75 -- 308; and Alison Meyer, Ferris St., 77-76-80-75 -- 308; 9. (tie) Heather Burgner, Fla. Southern, 78-76-79-76 -- 309; Joanna Coe, Rollins, 78-77-77-77 -- 309; and Raelyn Smith, Angelo St., 77-75-77-80 -- 309; 12. (tie) Caitlin Bennett, Grand Valley St., 74-78-81-77 -- 310; and Ashley Smith, Grand Valley St., 77-78-77-78 -- 310; 14. Nicole Whitmore, Nova Southeastern, 77-77-81-77 -- 312; 15. (tie) Laura Fourdraine, Rollins, 77-79-79-78 -- 313; Kristina Langton, Grand Valley St., 79-81-77-76 -- 313; Kaitlin Parker, Western Wash., 76-75-79-83 -- 313; Rachael Schmidt, Upper Iowa, 80-78-77-78 -- 313; Daniella Vargas, Rollins, 79-79-78-77 -- 313; and Katy Ward, Tarleton St., 76-78-81-78 -- 313; 21. (tie) Marianne Andersson, Fla. Southern, 82-75-80-78 -- 315; Taylor Collins, Nova Southeastern, 81-77-77-80 -- 315; and Sarah Hoffman, Grand Valley St., 80-74-83-78 -- 315; 24. Sarah Prascsak, Indianapolis, 76-78-81-81 -- 316; 25. (tie) Silvie Dittertova, Fla. Southern, 81-79-80-77 -- 317; Dianne Luke, California (Pa.), 77-84-74-82 -- 317; and Brianna Seo, Rollins, 79-80-76-82 -- 317; 28. (tie) Carla Cooper, Tarleton St., 70-79-84-85 -- 318; and Fredrika Hakansson, Nova Southeastern, 80-78-78-82 -- 318; 30. Anne Martin, Concordia-St. Paul, 77-75-79-88 -- 319; 31. Kim Ulander, Fla. Southern, 81-77-82-80 -- 320; 32. (tie) Kelsey Babos, Catawba, 79-80-83-79 -- 321; and Raquel Hansen, Ferris St., 83-80-78-80 -- 321; 34. Erin Ommen, Neb.-Omaha, 82-81-79-80 -- 322; 35. (tie) Emily Flannigan, Fla. Southern, 80-79-81-83 -- 323; Cecilia Kleinert, Rollins, 75-83-82-83 -- 323; Andrea Lowe, Tarleton St., 75-80-80-88 -- 323; and Rochelle Schmidt, Upper Iowa, 80-79-82-82 -- 323; 39. (tie) Jacquelyn Hauser, Concordia-St. Paul, 76-81-85-82 -- 324; and Allie Tyler, Grand Valley St., 85-79-82-78 -- 324; 41. Bryce Hetchler, Ferris St., 76-81-85-83 -- 325; 42. Erin Fuchik, Ferris St., 80-83-79-84 -- 326; 43. Mollie Peterson, West Tex. A&M, 81-78-81-87 -- 327; 44. Melanie Tham, Tarleton St., 81-85-79-83 -- 328; 45. Hammerli Sriyai, West Tex. A&M, 81-88-79-81 -- 329; 46. Jaymie Halvorson, Minn. St. Mankato, 78-83-83-87 -- 331; 47. (tie) Meghan Hunter, Ferris St., 85-81-82-85 -- 333; and Lacy Torbert, West Tex. A&M, 85-83-83-82 -- 333; 49. Jill Preeshl, Upper Iowa, 82-87-79-86 -- 334; 50. Candice Brister, Tarleton St., 80-83-89-84 -- 336; 51. (tie) Kate Tobin, Augustana (S.D.), 84-81-83-89 -- 337; and Allison Tyler, Indianapolis, 87-84-86-80 -- 337; 53. Kaytie Spangler, Concordia-St. Paul, 80-82-85-91 -- 338; 54. (tie) Sara Coe, West Tex. A&M, 82-84-86-87 -- 339; Kaari Espeland, Augustana (S.D.), 82-88-81-88 -- 339; Molly Noser, Concordia-St. Paul, 82-87-85-85 -- 339; and Darin Pinnick, Indianapolis, 80-84-86-89 -- 339; 58. Megan Chang, Cal St. Chico, 81-89-80-90 -- 340; 59. Jen Sanders, Cal St. Chico, 84-85-87-85 -- 341; 60. (tie) Sara Ansolabehere, Cal St. Chico, 85-85-85-87 -- 342; Lyndsey Bevill, Northern Ky., 82-86-87-87 -- 342; Leah Grozdanich, Minn. St. Mankato, 82-86-88-86 -- 342; and Kelly Lauer, Augustana (S.D.), 88-83-89-82 -- 342; 64. (tie) Whitney Osborne, West Tex. A&M, 91-81-88-84 -- 344; and Erin Sears, Cal St. Chico, 87-87-86-84 -- 344; 66. McKenzie Holthaus, Upper Iowa, 79-90-91-86 -- 346; 67. (tie) Shelby Hooper, Cal St. Chico, 84-87-86-90 -- 347; Kelli Lowry, Augustana (S.D.), 84-91-87-85 -- 347; and Laura Taylor, Upper Iowa, 93-85-84-85 -- 347; 70. (tie) Kalli Stanhope, Mont. St.-Billings, 85-91-85-87 -- 348; and Laura Strautz, Augustana (S.D.), 89-92-78-89 -- 348; 72. Carley Paulseth, Concordia-St. Paul, 83-85-93-92 -- 353.