Completed Event: Women's Golf at Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational on September 29, 2025 , , T-8th of 15
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at Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational
T-8th of 15
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Nicoson adds Raines to staff as assistant coach
7/10/2024 11:11:00 AM | Women's Golf
Distinguished golfer from Michigan State was a 4-time WGCA All-American Scholar
Grand Canyon women's golf head coach Brent Nicoson announced the hiring of Leila Raines as an assistant coach.
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Raines comes from Michigan State, where she was a four-time Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient from 2021 to 2024. She is the only Spartan to ever qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championship in all four years played, including once as an individual and three times with the team.
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She has served as a private golf instructor for five years at golf courses in the Columbus, Ohio, area.
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"We are very fortunate to have a highly successful player and leader like Leila joining our program as our assistant coach," said Niccoson. "What I love and respect about Coach Raines is that she is simply a great person and will be an important asset in creating and maintaining a championship level culture at GCU. She also brings with her the golf knowledge and passion that helped her be an elite player."
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During her playing career, she broke numerous records, including the 54-hole scoring record at an NCAA regional (73/68/69 – 210), the freshman low round scoring record (66) and tied the 54-hole record of 203 (69/69/65). She finished her career ranked sixth all-time in the Michigan State career scoring average books (73.87) and 10th on the best single season scoring average list (72.81) in 2023-24.
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Her placements in tournaments made her one of the best Spartans in recent years, totaling five top-five finishes, nine top-10 placements and 16 top-20 showings. She aided her team to a Big Ten Championship title in 2021 and was named to the All-Big Ten Championship Team in 2022. Raines excelled in the classroom and earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
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Raines is originally from Galena, Ohio, and graduated from Olentangy Berlin High School.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"We are very happy and proud Leila for wanting to become a collegiate coach. Leila had an incredible career as a Spartan. She will be able to pass along so much knowledge of the game as well as how to be successful as a student and athlete with the young women that she will help Coach Nicoson mentor."
Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, Michigan State women's head golf coach
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Raines comes from Michigan State, where she was a four-time Women's Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar and a four-time Academic All-Big Ten recipient from 2021 to 2024. She is the only Spartan to ever qualify for the NCAA Division I National Championship in all four years played, including once as an individual and three times with the team.
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She has served as a private golf instructor for five years at golf courses in the Columbus, Ohio, area.
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"We are very fortunate to have a highly successful player and leader like Leila joining our program as our assistant coach," said Niccoson. "What I love and respect about Coach Raines is that she is simply a great person and will be an important asset in creating and maintaining a championship level culture at GCU. She also brings with her the golf knowledge and passion that helped her be an elite player."
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During her playing career, she broke numerous records, including the 54-hole scoring record at an NCAA regional (73/68/69 – 210), the freshman low round scoring record (66) and tied the 54-hole record of 203 (69/69/65). She finished her career ranked sixth all-time in the Michigan State career scoring average books (73.87) and 10th on the best single season scoring average list (72.81) in 2023-24.
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Her placements in tournaments made her one of the best Spartans in recent years, totaling five top-five finishes, nine top-10 placements and 16 top-20 showings. She aided her team to a Big Ten Championship title in 2021 and was named to the All-Big Ten Championship Team in 2022. Raines excelled in the classroom and earned Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
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Raines is originally from Galena, Ohio, and graduated from Olentangy Berlin High School.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
"We are very happy and proud Leila for wanting to become a collegiate coach. Leila had an incredible career as a Spartan. She will be able to pass along so much knowledge of the game as well as how to be successful as a student and athlete with the young women that she will help Coach Nicoson mentor."
Stacy Slobodnik-Stoll, Michigan State women's head golf coach
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Head Coach Brent Nicoson Meets the Team | August 29, 2024
Friday, February 07