FRISCO, Texas – Following one of the most successful seasons in program history, SWOSU Women's Golf head coach Brad Fleetwood has been named the 2025-26 Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Central Region Coach of the Year.
 
The award marks Fleetwood's second WGCA Regional Coach of the Year honor in the last three seasons after guiding the Lady Bulldogs to an NCAA Central Regional championship and a top-10 finish at the NCAA Division II Women's Golf Championships.
 
SWOSU captured three tournament titles during the 2025-26 campaign, highlighted by the program's second NCAA Central Regional crown. The Lady Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Championships for the fourth time and finished tied for ninth nationally, the second-highest national finish in school history and the best among Central Region programs in the field.
 
Fleetwood's squad was led by senior Freya Sala, who became the first regional champion in program history and later finished tied for 10th at the NCAA Championships. Sala earned unanimous First Team All-Great American Conference honors for the second consecutive season.
 
Freshman Maria Velilla also garnered major postseason recognition after being named GAC Freshman of the Year and a First Team All-GAC selection. The duo finished the year ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, in the NCAA Central Region.
 
Despite competing with a five-player roster throughout the season, the Lady Bulldogs produced seven top-three finishes and established themselves as one of the nation's premier teams throughout the spring.
 
Division II Golf Pride WGCA Regional Coaches of the Year
 
South Region: JD Lamm, Wingate University
Central Region: Brad Fleetwood, Southwestern Oklahoma State University
East Region: Dominic Guarnieri, University of Findlay
West Region: Kenny Trapp, Dallas Baptist University  
 
About the Women's Golf Coaches Association
The Women's Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women's collegiate golf coaches. The WGCA was formed to encourage the playing of college golf for women in correlation with a general objective of education and in accordance with the highest tradition of intercollegiate competition. Today, the WGCA represents over 750 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.