Four Lone Star Conference teams and an individual are part of more than 1,000 student-athletes that will compete for six national championships when the NCAA, in conjunction with Bellarmine University and Greater Louisville Sports Commission, plays host to the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival on May 15-19 in Louisville, Ky.
Women's Golf
Tarleton State earned a national berth after claiming its sixth straight West Region title, dating back to 2007. The Women’s Golf Championships, consisting of 72 holes, will be held May 16-19, at Persimmon Ridge Golf Course in Louisville.
Men's Golf
Cameron’s Trey Lawson tied for fourth at the NCAA Division II Midwest/South Central Regional to earn a spot in the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships. The finals will be held May 15-19, at The Cardinal Club in Simpsonville, Ky.
Men's and Women's Tennis
The Abilene Christian men’s and women’s squads along with Cameron’s women’s team have advanced to the 2012 NCAA Division II Tennis Championships, which will be played in Louisville, Ky., May 16-19.
The Round of 16 starts on May 16, with the ACU women against Indiana (PA) at 7 a.m., while CU plays California (PA) at 10 a.m. The Wildcat men will face Northern Kentucky at 1 p.m.
What is it?
• Division II National Championships Festivals are the only place in the NCAA where six champions will be crowned in a single event.
• The festival experience provides an unparalleled opportunity to celebrate the achievements of more than 1,000 DII student-athletes.
• In addition to high-level athletic competition, the NCAA also recognizes academic achievement in the various sports represented at the festival.
• The festival is held every year while rotating the season of sports to include spring, winter and fall.
• Opening and closing ceremonies, community engagement projects, social opportunities for the student-athletes, and a fan festival are hallmark events at the festivals. Student-athletes also are housed in centrally-located hotels, allowing for an athlete-village type atmosphere.
• The 2012 NCAA Division II National Championships Festival will feature student-athletes across the sports of men’s and women’s golf; women’s lacrosse; men’s and women’s tennis; and softball.
• This Louisville-based event will be the sixth national championships festival hosted by DII.
• All championship events will be open to the public.
Goals
• The goal of the NCAA Division II National Championships Festival is to enhance the student-athlete collegiate experience and to create more exposure for DII sports.
• The festival agenda also is designed to positively impact the lives of the greater Louisville community through education and experiences.
Festival Host Sites
• Division II held its first festival in Spring 2004 in Orlando, Fla., and conducted a fall-sports version in November 2006 in Pensacola, Fla. The Spring 2008 and Winter 2009 festivals were held in Houston, with the most current held in Fall 2010 in Louisville, Ky.