SPEARFISH, S.D. – Black Hills State University head women's golf coach
Randy Doran announced the signing of two student-athletes as part of the 2025 signing class on Wednesday afternoon which includes Abbi Beld (Fort Collins, Colorado) and Shelbi Gardner (Sheridan, Wyoming).
"Both of our signees are very talented and very competitive players competing at the largest classification in their home state and will be coming in with a lot of success and high accolades," stated head coach
Randy Doran. "Following an impressive fall season for our program, it was important to find players for the Class of 2025 that want to come in, compete, and continue to build our program. Abbi Beld and Shelbi Gardner both stood out early in the recruiting process as more than just talented golfers but will be great future teammates as well. I am excited to have these two outstanding players, and their families join of our Yellow Jacket Golf Family."
Abbi Beld // 5'3'' // Fort Collins, Colorado // Fossil Ridge HS
A 2-time CHSAA First Team All-State and First Team All-Conference honoree with recognition in the 2022 and 2024 seasons, Abbi Beld continues what is starting to become a strong pipeline to the state of Colorado for the Black Hills State women's golf team. She will join three current Yellow Jackets from The Centennial State, which includes junior
Olivia McCandless (Arvada West), freshman
Makaela Swanson (Northfield), and freshman
Leyni Stavola (Prospect Ridge Academy). Beld began her prep career at Resurrection Christian School where she recorded a third place finish in regionals with a single round score of 89 and then went on to post a 10-stroke improvement from round one (89) to round two (79) of the CHSAA Class 3A State Tournament for an eighth place finish. As a team, the Cougars placed sixth in the state tournament in the spring of 2022. After sitting out the 2023 season due to transfer rules, Beld returned to the prep scene in the spring of 2024 where she secured the regional title with a single round score of 74 (+3). Prior to the state tournament she was a part of a FRHS team that won both the Front Range League title and the regional title. She then went on and carded rounds of 78 (+6) and 73 (+1) for a 36-hole score of 151 (+7) to move into a tie for sixth place at the CHSAA Class 5A State Tournament at the Broadlands Golf Course in Broomfield, Colorado, helping the SaberCats land a runner-up finish. She has collected five top-5 finishes as an amateur in the Colorado PGA (COPGA) and also plays in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA). Abbi is the daughter of Jason and Wendi Beld.
Coach Doran's Thoughts: "In a very talented class of 2025 Colorado players, Abbi had been at the top of my list very early on. There will probably be 12-15 players in the state that will be playing at the DI or DII level next year and I felt that Abbi is up in that top-tier caliber group with the best of them. Coming off a 6th place finish at state her junior year, I am excited to see what lies ahead for her senior season this spring."
Shelbi Gardner // 5'6'' // Sheridan, Wyoming // Sheridan HS
Shelbi Gardner will arrive in Spearfish following a standout Wyoming prep career at Sheridan High School that saw her tally three all-state selections (2022, 2023, and 2024), three all-conference selections (2022, 2023, and 2024), two WHSAA Class 4A team state titles (2021 and 2023), and an individual conference title in 2024. In the WHSAA Class 4A Tournament this past September she secured her third consecutive top-10 finish at state, carding rounds of 81 and 77 for a 36-hole score of 158 and second place overall, that improved her finishing position from the prior year's third place mark. In July of 2024, Gardner earned the win at the Wyoming State Golf Association State Amateur Tournament with a 54-hole score of 217, topping a current DI student-athlete at the University of Wyoming in second place by 11 strokes. She is a 2-time National High School Tournament participant, taking the course in 2022 in Pinehurst, North Carolina, and in 2024 in Frisco, Texas. Additionally, she represented the state of Wyoming in the Girls Junior Americas Cup Tournament at the Soldier Hollow Golf Course in Midway, Utah. Once Gardner arrives at BHSU next fall, she will be reunited with former prep teammate and Sheridan High School alumna,
Katie Jorgenson. Shelbi is the daughter of Josh and Misty Gardner.
Coach Doran's Thoughts: "Shelbi has been one of the best high school golfers in Wyoming the past few years and had been on my radar for quite some time following her 3rd place finish and team state championship her junior year. She followed that up with a stellar senior campaign with an individual runner up finish at the state tournament this fall. I'm looking forward to watching Shelbi continue to compete in tournaments throughout the spring and summer."
