Mocs in 21st at NCAA East Regional
Maria Juliana Loza shot level par 72 today and now awaits afternoon wave to see where she is heading into final round
STATE COLLEGE, PA. --- Senior Maria Juliana Loza (Bucaramanga, Colombia) shot even-par 72 today at the NCAA East Regional Friday. It keeps her at plus one through 36 holes, which moves her into the top 10 with 12 teams and 66 players still on the course on a blustery day on the Penn State Blue Course.
As a team, the Chattanooga Mocs are in 21st, one shot ahead of Jacksonville State and four behind Northwestern. UTC improved five shots on its first round total with a 306 today.
Loza paces the Mocs at 145. It is her best 36-hole total in regional play. She started her day with a birdie on 10 and headed into the par three fourth (her 13th hole) at even. She knocked it in tight and made her birdie. That was followed with a 12-foot birdie on five to get to minus two for the round. Loza bogeyed seven and eight for her final tally of 72.
As Loza looks for her second top 10 in NCAA Regional play, the Mocs battled the windy conditions. Marion Duvernay (Publier, France) and Jordan Britt (Chattanooga, Tenn.) carded twin 77s. Duvernay stands at 154, while Britt is now at 155. Sophie Weilguni (Langenlois, Austria) shot an 80 today. Mette Kryger (Nivaa, Denmark) rounded out the scoring with an 83.
The Mocs now sit and wait as the afternoon wave is underway. The top eight teams and two individuals on those squads advance to the NCAA Championship. As of 4 p.m., Loza was tied for sixth, one shot out of a potential playoff for the two individual spots. Click the live scoring link above for results.
Chattanooga's final round starts on the first hole at 12:55 p.m., Saturday. Kryger leads off followed by Weilguni (1:06), Britt (1:17), Duvernay (1:28) and Loza (1:39). Live scoring of the round can be found on the GoMocs.com women's golf schedule page.
Cnops tied for 47th at NCAA East Regional
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - On her 21st birthday, UNCG's Fanny Cnops recorded a second-round score of 76 at the NCAA East Regional at Penn State's Blue Course on Friday.
After 36 holes, Cnops is sitting tied for 47th with a 7-over par total score of 151 (75-76). The UNCG freshman got started slightly later than expected Friday as action was delayed 30 minutes due to an early morning frost.
Katerina Ruzickova of Texas A&M built on her lead in round two, as she's now 4-under par, three strokes ahead of South Carolina's duo of Katie Burnett and Justine Dreher. Ruzickova followed up her impressive first round of 67 with a round of 73 Friday.
Twenty-fifth-ranked South Carolina gained four strokes on second-place Alabama in round two. The Gamecocks are now at 6-over par while the Crimson Tide is plus-13.
The top eight teams and top two individuals not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championships on May 22-25.
The first tee times of round three will begin Saturday at 7:30 a.m., while Cnops will get started at 8:25.
AGATE
UNCG Individuals
T47. Fanny Cnops 75-76=151
Furman's Wearn Shoots a 76 in Round Two
State College, Pa. -- Junior Laura Wearn carded a second round 76 on Friday and holds a share of 63rd place after 36 holes in the NCAA Women's Golf East Regional at the Penn State Blue Course in State College, Pa.
Furman's 2012 season stroke average leader posted a three-over 39 on the front nine before shooting a one-over 37 on the back to move to nine-over par for the tournament. Wearn (+9) a Charlotte, N.C., native, recorded her only birdie of the round at the par-five, No. 18 to close her round.
Katerina Ruzickova (-4) shot a 73 on Friday to maintain the East Regional individual lead at four-under. She holds a three-stroke advantage over South Carolina teammates Katie Burnett (-1) and Justine Dreher (-1) with 18 to play.
South Carolina (+6) extended its lead over Alabama (+13) to seven strokes with a second round 294. Florida (+15), Texas A&M (+16) and Duke (+19) rounded out the top five after two rounds.
Teams competing in the East Regional are Alabama, Arizona State, Duke, Texas A&M, Florida, Arizona, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Michigan State, Washington, Texas, Tulane, UCF, Wake Forest, Northwestern, San Diego State, Kent State, Maryland, Augusta State, Campbell, Chattanooga, Oral Roberts, Penn State, Jacksonville State and LIU Brooklyn. Fanny Cnops (UNCG), Charlotte Lorentzen (Georgia State), Katie Mundy (FIU), Michelle Piyapattra (Columbia) will join Wearn in competing as individuals.
The top eight teams in the regional's 24-team field and top two individuals not on a qualifying team at the NCAA East Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships May 22-25, at the Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tenn.
Wearn begins final round play on Saturday when she tees off at 8:25 from the No. 10 tee.
Furman fans can follow Wearn's quest to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships through live scoring of the 2012 NCAA East Regional at www.GolfStatResults.com.