Runaway victory goes to Vakasiuola at GCU

Tuesday, February 24

Phoenix, Ariz.

Grand Canyon

GCU Invitational

Photo by: Brayden Stenner

2/25/2026 3:31:00 PM | Women's Golf, Paul Coro

RESULTS Photo Gallery

Lopes freshman takes medalist honors by 8 strokes to help team win

By: Paul Coro

The path to being a college golf tournament medalist does not usually include a quadruple bogey, let alone being a freshman and having that happen on the fifth of 54 holes.

But Grand Canyon's Alexis Vakasiuola discarded the early setback like removing a blade of grass from her putt path, flipping her GCU Invitational fate with finishing rounds of 65 and 66 to record a tournament win a week after being a tournament runner-up.

GCU Invitational team champs

After matching a program record with a 7-under-par second round Tuesday, Vakasioula challenged to lower that mark Wednesday as she ran away from the field. The Combs High School alumna from San Tan Valley, Arizona, eagled the seventh hole for a second consecutive day and was 5 under through 10 holes on her way to winning the tournament by eight holes.

Vakasiuola finished at 11 under par, coming within a stroke of the program's 54-hole tourney record, with junior teammate Jess Raines taking the runner-up spot at 3 under. GCU won the team title at 3 under par with a 30-stroke advantage on runner-up Northern Illinois.

"That was a tricky hole," Vakasioula said of her ominous start. "It got in my head for a bit for the hole after that. After that, I was like, 'I'm still in it. Got to let it go and keep fighting back.' I was just trying to do good. I was just trying to play my best and see where it ended."

When Vakasioula was 5 over par after the tournament's first eight holes, GCU head coach Brent Nicoson said he told her, "Stay the course. You know you can make birdies, especially on your home course."

And she did. Vakasioula played that first round back nine at 3 under and holed out a bunker shot at No. 14 after her bunker-to-bunker earlier experience. She turned torrid later Tuesday for a 7-under 29 on her second round's front nine.

She stayed at 7 under for the entire second round to give her a two-stroke lead entering Wednesday's final round.

"After that round, I told her, 'You're going to think I'm most proud of you for shooting 29 or setting a school record, but I'm not. I'm most proud for bouncing back from a quadruple bogey on your fifth hole to do what you did and get back into contention for the tournament and be the leader,' " Nicoson said. "That takes a lot of maturity as a freshman. It's hard to teach juniors and seniors to have that level of composure after making a big number like that."

Alexis Vakasiuola

That Vakasiuola round of 65 tied four other Lopes for the program's single-round record.

"That was so cool," Vakasiuola said. "I wasn't even thinking about that, honestly. It's really nice to know that because there were so many good players before me. I'm able to keep up with that, and I've even got a chance to beat it."

Back on her home course Wednesday morning, Vakasiuola warmed up before the weather with two birdies on the first four holes.

At the par-5 seventh hole, she replicated Tuesday's eagle there with the same shot pattern Wednesday – big drive in the fairway, 4-iron approach shot within 7 feet and an icy eagle putt.

While Vakasiuola was firing a 66, no other player in the tournament broke 70 in the final round Wednesday. Her long drives, accurate irons and strong putting stayed consistent through the end, when she pitched into an 18th-hold birdie for a 6-under round.

As she retreated to her bag with her back turned, her teammates ran in unison with water bottles to douse her with a celebratory shower as her parents, grandfather and sisters watched. Her older sister, Alyzzah, was an all-conference golfer for GCU last season. Nicoson lifted her 8-year-old sister, Aleyah, to apply the final water dump.

"I love my coaches and my teammates," Vakasiuola said. "They make it really special. I'm having a good time here at GCU."

Last week, Vakasiuola took second place in a 96-player field at the Alice and John Wallace Women's Golf Classic in Palm Desert, California, where she shot 67 twice.

Her level of player and quick adaptation to the college game has not been surprising to Nicoson after seeing her place third at the Women's Arizona Amateur Championship against seasoned players in July.

"She's not afraid to make birdies," Nicoson said. "She's a really, really good player, and her sister was really solid too. The thing that's kind of hidden is how much impact Alyzzah had. Growing up, she always had a good player to play against."

Haines, the veteran on a team with four freshmen and no seniors, did not shoot an over-par round in the tournament, carding a line of 72-70-71 to beat out the tourney's other under-par golfer, Northern Illinois' Mia Raines, by one stroke for second place.
She repeated the 3-under score that took third place at last year's GCU Invitational.

"She made birdies this week, and she's kind of been waiting on that," Nicoson said. "She started showing signs of getting better and better as the week went on last week. This week, she started off solid and stayed solid. She's starting to make putts, and she's hitting it better. That's a pretty good combination. She's the girl with the most grit on her team and wants to go get it."