Grace Bell Makes Some UBC History In Arizona
(February 10, 2025) - Grace Bell is deep into the back nine of her collegiate golf career and is determined to make the most of the time she has left.
This spring’s schedule is a last hurrah of sorts for Bell and three of her UBC teammates who are set to graduate this spring. They already have a bushel full of memories — including NAIA and Canadian championships — that figure to last a lifetime, but why not produce a few more.
Bell helped do just that when she created a little UBC history by winning last week’s Wigwam Preview, a NCAA Division I event in Litchfield Park, Ariz.
“I didn’t look at the leaderboard at all the whole week. I knew I was somewhere in the hunt, but I thought minus-two or three might have done it and I was only at one-under.” As it turned out, one-under was more than good enough.
Bell earned the fourth individual title of her UBC career by three shots over Jenna Anderson of Utah Tech. “We only get four years of eligibility so this is the last lap,“ Bell said. “We have four graduating athletes this spring and all four are on this trip, so it was extra special to do it with that group of girls. We are going to enjoy our last few tournaments as a team.”
The only other UBC golfer to have won a NCAA Div I event is Delta’s Tracey Lipp, who captured the 1992 University of Wyoming Invitational.
While Bell was obviously delighted to get the individual win, she was equally pumped about UBC’s second-place finish at the Wigwam. UBC is a NAIA school and it’s a big step up playing NCAA Division I teams.
“It’s the best finish in UBC history,” Bell said of her team’s runner-up finish. “We actually set the record in the fall when we finished third at the Pat Harbottle Invitational and now we have broken it. Second place is the best UBC has ever done.”
The Thunderbirds, who are ranked No. 1 in the NAIA, were the only non-NCAA Div I school in the nine-team event. Their 54-hole score of 38-over left them tied for second with Utah Valley and eight shots behind the winning team from Tarleton State University of Stephenville, Tex.
Bell fired rounds of 72, 73 and 70 at Wigwam Golf Club. She birdied four of her final eight holes in the final round to seal the win. “I have always been a good ball-striker, so tee to green I have always been quite strong,” Bell said.
“Once I get on the green it’s a little less solid, but we are working on that. A few putts fell on the back nine, so that was a nice confidence boost. I have been working really hard the past year to make putting one of my strengths and it’s nice to see that hard work pay off.”
Bell and her teammates headed straight to California after the Arizona tourney to compete in another NCAA Division 1 event, the University of California Riverside Sobobo Classic in San Jacinto. The Thunderbirds finished fifth in the seven-team event. Bell and teammate Jessica Ng both tied for sixth in the individual competition.