ALLENDALE, Mich. -- Midwestern State's Brenna Moore is clearly through with being anyone's runner-up.
 
After finishing seven times over the past three years, the senior from Burkburnett claimed wins in the two biggest tournaments of her career as she became the first national title in school history by winning the 2015 NCAA Division II Championship Saturday at The Meadows on the campus of Grand Valley State University.
 
"It's a blessing," Moore said. "All those times in those tournaments, I would get second place over and over again. It was one of those things that I finally overcame. The game of golf teaches you honesty, integrity and discipline. It showed me how that really works not only in sports but in school, life and anything else."
 
Moore carded rounds of 74, 73, 74 and 76 for a 9-over total of 297 to finish two strokes better than runner-up Madison Lellyo of Rollins (Fla.), but she had to survive a bit of a scare just after closing out her round.
 
Indianapolis' Brooke Beegle ran three birdies over a four-hole stretch to reach 9-over, but fell back to 15-over while Lellyo was never closer than one stroke despite logging 15 pars and one bogey in the final round.
 
Moore definitely had to shake some nerves both early and late in the championship round.
 
"I took very deep breaths. After the first drive, I was fine," Moore said. "The last three holes, I was trying to stop shaking. I was just trying to finish the rest of the holes at par. I was trying to come in with a decent round."
 
Her nerves might have frayed her game off of the tee box a bit, but Moore round a way to put the ball in the fairway in nine of 14 holes and hit 12 greens regulation with 34 putts.
 
"She controlled her nerves and emotion and was mentally tough and focused all day long," MSU coach Jeff Ray said. "She putted extremely well after the first five holes of the tournament. She did a great job of two-putting and made a lot of 3-5 footers. Those are momentum putts and she did that very consistently. She did great. I am so proud of her."
 
Moore started off with her lone birdie of the day on the first hole and controlled the course the rest of the way by averting big mistakes. She played her way out of five bogeys with steady play which produced pars in eight of the last 10 holes.
 
Her persistence was on display all week after Moore started her first round on Wednesday by going 5-over on the first six holes. 
 
"She played the last 66 holes in 4-over on a tough course," Ray said. "That's worthy of being a national champion."
 
Playing in front of a gallery that included her parents, uncle, two family friends as well as sister and teammate Sarah and two more teammates in Sierra Campbell and Hayley Dambold, Moore finished a brilliant career.
 
"I am pretty competitive in most everything in my life," Moore said. "You want to represent your support system and do well. I've been asked if Midwestern has a golf team over the past few years. That's something that has really pushed our golf team. We want people to know we're there."
 
Moore finished in the Top 10 in 33 of her 44 career tournament and in all but one of her 11 competitions this season, but definitely saved the best for last.
 
She became the first All American in program history last season then repeated the honor this year helping her team to three team wins including the program's first Lone Star Conference championship.
 
Moore continued to make history by claiming the South Central/West Region title last week in Rohnert Park, Calif. before polishing off her career as MSU's first ever national champion.
 
"It's so awesome, but it hasn't really hit me completely," Moore said. "Being the first one, it's really exciting. I can tell my great grandkids and they can look it up. It will give future players something to shoot for."
   
 

NCAA Division II Championship
The Meadows Allendale, Mich. Par-72, 6,193 yards
Team Leaderboard
Place	Team	Round Scores	Total	To Par
1	Indianapolis (Ind.)	305-299-309-299	1212	+60
2	Rollins (Fla.)	306-314-304-293	1217	+65
3	Lynn (Fla.)	321-304-300-300	1225	+73
4	Tarleton State (Texas)	320-305-310-310	1245	+93
5	Nova Southeastern (Fla.)	317-309-316-304	1246	+94
6	St. Edward's (Texas)	319-313-310-305	1247	+95
7	Central Oklahoma	312-308-314-315	1249	+97
8	Findlay (Ohio)	328-317-311-315	1271	+119
9	Ashland (Ohio)	324-315-324-311	1274	+122
10	Arkansas Tech	325-326-328-307	1286	+134
11	Augustana (S.D.)	334-321-317-318	1290	+138
12	Sonoma State (Calif.)	327-336-315-318	1296	+144
Individual Leaderboard
Place	Player, Team	Round Scores	Total	To Par
1	Brenna Moore, Midwestern State	74-73-74-76	297	+9
2	Madison Lelly, Rollins	70-78-78-73	299	+11
3	Samantha Smolen, Lynn	77-74-73-76	300	+12
4	Haley Haught, St. Edward's	74-78-76-73	301	+13
5	Mailen Domecq Chantry, Nova Southeastern	76-77-77-72	302	+14
	Chanice Young, Indianapolis	76-74-75-77	302	+14
7	Jessica Bradley, Lynn	75-80-75-73	303	+15
	Brooke Beegle, Indianapolis	77-73-76-77	303	+15
9	Kelly Hartigan, Grand Valley State	79-80-74-72	305	+17
	Lexie Toth, Rollins	79-78-74-74	305	+17
	Kasey Petty, Findlay	78-76-80-71	305	+17