Colorado University Athletics
Colorado returns to the NCAA Regionals for the first time in eight years.
Buffs Advance To NCAA Regional Field
April 29, 2026 | Women's Golf
BOULDER — The Buffaloes are in, and that's all that matters.
For the first time in eight years, the Colorado Buffaloes are headed to the NCAA Women's Golf Championship. The Buffaloes are the ninth seed in the Waco Regional, one of 12 teams set to compete at the Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas, May 11-13. Baylor will serve as host of the regional, which consists of 54 holes; 18 holes each day.
Colorado was ranked No. 51 in the latest Scoreboard national rankings, making the Buffaloes one of the last, if not the last, to make the 72-team championship field. The Buffaloes are coming off a disappointing 14th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship, but the resume was already in place. Colorado boasts two tournament wins and a runner-up finish in another, while compiling a 78-59-4 record.
Just three years ago, the Buffaloes' team ranking was in the 80s, well off the pace of national consideration. Colorado finished at or near the bottom in its last seven tournaments that year.
Head coach Madeleine Sheils joined that program in 2022-23 as the associate head coach, eventually taking over from legendary Colorado coach Anne Kelly a year later. She has steadily brought the Buffaloes back, sending them to their ninth overall NCAA appearance and first since 2018.
"I'm so incredibly grateful and proud," Sheils said. "You try every day to do the little things well in hopes they add up to the result you're looking for. But it doesn't always come as soon as you want; sometimes, you feel it might never come. So, having the validation of finally taking that first step back into the tournament feels really good. I'm just so proud of this group of girls. They deserve it and I couldn't be more excited."
Junior Carolyn Fuller, Colorado's scoring average leader (73.19) and the author of seven top 20 finishes this season, is one of two Buffaloes, along with Vanessa Ngo, who have been the longest witnesses to the program's ascension back to the NCAA Tournament.
"It's such a good feeling to see the growth that the team has had over the last couple of years and how our connection has been; it's not a surprise we made it," Fuller said. "I'm very proud of this team. We just need to get some good momentum going, and I'm excited to get to Waco."
Colorado was one of 12 Big 12 teams to make the NCAA field and will be joined by host Baylor and TCU at the Waco Regional. No. 4-ranked Texas A&M is the top seed in the regional, which includes Southeastern Conference champion Tennessee (No. 3 seed) and eighth-ranked Oregon (No. 2 seed).
The top five teams from the six NCAA regionals, plus the low individual not on one of those teams will advance to the 2026 NCAA Finals, May 22-27 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The other regionals are in Ann Arbor, Mich. (University of Michigan Golf Course), Chapel Hill, N.C. (UNC Finley Golf Course), Simpsonville, Ky. (University of Louisville Golf Club), Stanford, Calif. (Stanford Golf Course) and Tallahassee, Fla. (Seminole Legacy Gold Club).
NCAA Waco Regional Teams (listed by seed)
1. Texas A&M
2. Oregon
3. Tennessee
4. SMU
5. Baylor
6. LSU
7. TCU
8. Tulsa
9. Colorado
10. Northern Arizona
11. Tarleton State
12. Prairie View A&M
For the first time in eight years, the Colorado Buffaloes are headed to the NCAA Women's Golf Championship. The Buffaloes are the ninth seed in the Waco Regional, one of 12 teams set to compete at the Ridgewood Country Club in Waco, Texas, May 11-13. Baylor will serve as host of the regional, which consists of 54 holes; 18 holes each day.
Colorado was ranked No. 51 in the latest Scoreboard national rankings, making the Buffaloes one of the last, if not the last, to make the 72-team championship field. The Buffaloes are coming off a disappointing 14th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship, but the resume was already in place. Colorado boasts two tournament wins and a runner-up finish in another, while compiling a 78-59-4 record.
Just three years ago, the Buffaloes' team ranking was in the 80s, well off the pace of national consideration. Colorado finished at or near the bottom in its last seven tournaments that year.
Head coach Madeleine Sheils joined that program in 2022-23 as the associate head coach, eventually taking over from legendary Colorado coach Anne Kelly a year later. She has steadily brought the Buffaloes back, sending them to their ninth overall NCAA appearance and first since 2018.
"I'm so incredibly grateful and proud," Sheils said. "You try every day to do the little things well in hopes they add up to the result you're looking for. But it doesn't always come as soon as you want; sometimes, you feel it might never come. So, having the validation of finally taking that first step back into the tournament feels really good. I'm just so proud of this group of girls. They deserve it and I couldn't be more excited."
Junior Carolyn Fuller, Colorado's scoring average leader (73.19) and the author of seven top 20 finishes this season, is one of two Buffaloes, along with Vanessa Ngo, who have been the longest witnesses to the program's ascension back to the NCAA Tournament.
"It's such a good feeling to see the growth that the team has had over the last couple of years and how our connection has been; it's not a surprise we made it," Fuller said. "I'm very proud of this team. We just need to get some good momentum going, and I'm excited to get to Waco."
Colorado was one of 12 Big 12 teams to make the NCAA field and will be joined by host Baylor and TCU at the Waco Regional. No. 4-ranked Texas A&M is the top seed in the regional, which includes Southeastern Conference champion Tennessee (No. 3 seed) and eighth-ranked Oregon (No. 2 seed).
The top five teams from the six NCAA regionals, plus the low individual not on one of those teams will advance to the 2026 NCAA Finals, May 22-27 at the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif. The other regionals are in Ann Arbor, Mich. (University of Michigan Golf Course), Chapel Hill, N.C. (UNC Finley Golf Course), Simpsonville, Ky. (University of Louisville Golf Club), Stanford, Calif. (Stanford Golf Course) and Tallahassee, Fla. (Seminole Legacy Gold Club).
NCAA Waco Regional Teams (listed by seed)
1. Texas A&M
2. Oregon
3. Tennessee
4. SMU
5. Baylor
6. LSU
7. TCU
8. Tulsa
9. Colorado
10. Northern Arizona
11. Tarleton State
12. Prairie View A&M
Players Mentioned
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