The 20th-ranked Dakota Wesleyan University women's golf team will try to add a successful final chapter to their outstanding 2008-09 season beginning tomorrow when the 2009 NAIA Women's Golf National Championships tee off.

This year, the Tigers don't even have to leave the state to golf in the National Championships. The Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau is hosting the tournament at Meadowbrook Municipal Golf Course, and South Dakota School of Mines & Technology received the automatic host bid. There are 28 teams competing for the National Championship - 21 automatic qualifiers and seven at-large selections. In addition, nine individuals have also earned a spot.

All 144 golfers played a practice round at Meadowbrook Monday, and the tournament will consist of four 18-hole rounds played Tuesday through Friday. The final standings will be based on teams' (and individual's) 72-hole cumulative scores.

This is the Tigers' sixth-straight trip to the National Championships. A year ago, DWU finished 17th, which tied its best finish under fourth-year head coach Adam Anderson. The Tigers' best finish in school history was 10th in 2003-04.

DWU has had a remarkable season leading up to nationals, led by Great Plains Athletic Conference Women's Golf Coach-of-the-Year Anderson and GPAC Women's Golfer-of-the-Year Dani Bellet. Bellet, a freshman, headlined the Tigers' four All-GPAC selections as DWU claimed its sixth conference title in seven years. Juniors Kelli Baseley and Heather Love joined Bellet on the All-GPAC First Team and sophomore Carly Hayes earned All-GPAC Honorable Mention honors.

In 13 tournament appearances this season, the Tigers won eight titles with two second-place finishes, two thirds and a fifth. DWU has been ranked in every NAIA Women's Golf Top 25 Coaches' Poll this season, reaching as high as No. 18 and currently sitting at No. 20. The Tigers earned their automatic bid to the National Championships by winning the GPAC title.

Dakota Wesleyan hopes to have an in-state advantage at nationals on a course they already played once this season. DWU finished fifth at the NAIA National Preview meet at Meadowbrook back on Sept. 29 and 30 behind four teams all ranked No. 8 or better.

Top-ranked Oklahoma City University is in the field as the four-time defending National Champion. No. 3-ranked Embry Riddle University (Fla.) was last year's runner-up. Shanna Page of second-ranked Bethel (Ind.) was last season's individual champ.