University of North Dakota Athletics

University of North Dakota Director of Athletics Bill Chaves introduced Kristyl Sunderman as the Fighting Hawks' new women's golf coach in August 2018.

A seasoned veteran of the national amateur and mid-amateur circuit, Sunderman has helped usher the Fighting Hawks into play in their new conference, The Summit League. 
 
"We are excited to have Kristyl join our staff and lead our women’s golf program," Chaves said at the time of her hiring. "Her accomplishments as a player at the highest levels of Division I and beyond as well as her experience as a golf clinician will no doubt be tremendously beneficial to our team."
 
Sunderman has participated in nine USGA championships, including still competing in U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and Amateur Championships. During a 12-year junior golf career, the San Diego, Calif., native appeared in the top 10 juniors in the GolfWeek rankings at least three times and top 10 amateurs twice. She is a two-time Junior World Champion who played collegiately for top-tier golf programs at UCLA and TCU. 
 
She broke into collegiate coaching in 2016 at University of South Carolina Beaufort. There, she guided the Sand Sharks to their then-lowest team score in the program's history as they ranked third nationally in the NAIA.
 
Sunderman had previously put her coaching career on pause while working in the private sector in graphic design and marketing, having spent 14 years as art director for Riverside (Calif.) Community Hospital.
 
"I'm incredibly proud and excited to coach the UND women golfers and hope to embark on an amazing journey of personal development and growth as a team," Sunderman said.
 
She takes over a Fighting Hawk roster that has all five of its top scorers back for the 2018-19 season, spearheaded by senior Jenna Janu. She was the Fighting Hawks' top finisher at the 2018 Big Sky Championship, tying for 10th after bettering her own program record with a 54-hole total of 222 (+6). Janu posted a 71 (-1) during a second round that featured a career-best six birdies. Janu's 77.04 season stroke average would have been among the top in The Summit League in 2018-19.
 
Sunderman graduated from TCU in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in journalism.