Chattanooga heads to NCAA East Regional
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – The Chattanooga Mocs women’s golf team is headed to Auburn, Ala., for the NCAA East Regional on May 9-11. The tourney is at the Auburn University Club in Auburn.
Three days and 54 holes await 24 teams and six individuals vying for the NCAA Championship on May 21-24 in Athens, Ga. The top eight teams and two individuals on non-advancing squads will move on the UGA Golf Course.
Chattanooga joins the likes of defending national champion No. 2 Alabama, No. 5 Arkansas, No. 8 UCLA, No. 11 North Carolina, No. 12 Virginia, No. 18 Oklahoma State, No. 20 Tulane, No. 23 Texas and 16 more in the East Regional.
UTC is in its fifth straight regional as a team. The program, which was built from scratch by head coach Colette Murray beginning with the 2007-08 season, has been a part of NCAA postseason play all six years of its existence since its resurrection after being ended in the mid-1980s.
For the fourth straight year, UTC won the Southern Conference Championship. The Mocs also captured the individual title for the third year in a row as sophomore newcomer Agathe Sauzon won with a birdie on the first playoff hole over Mary Chandler Bryan from College of Charleston.
The lineup includes five of Sauzon, Jordan Britt, Porsche Campbell, Mette Kryger, Isabella Loza and Emily McLennan. Only Britt (2011, 2012) and Kryger (2012) have experience in NCAA postseason play.
Furman’s Wearn earns at-large NCAA bid
GREENVILLE, S.C. – Furman senior Laura Wearn received an at-large bid to participate in the NCAA Women’s Golf West Regional on May 9-11 at the Stanford Golf Course in Stanford, Calif., it was announced on Monday evening.
The All-Southern Conference selection and highest-ranked individual (No. 35 in the GolfStat Cup Standings) in the field will be making her third appearance in an NCAA Regional. The top eight teams in the regional’s 24-team field and top two individuals not on a qualifying team at the NCAA West Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships on May 21-24 at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga.
Wearn, a native of Charlotte, N.C, has posted a 73.32 stroke average over 28 rounds during the 2012-13 season and notched seven top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments. She posted second-place finishes at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship, Lady Bulldog Individual Championship at the University of Georgia, and at the Briar’s Creek Invitational. Wearn fired rounds of 77-76-73 to finish 51st at last season’s NCAA East Regional in State College, Pa.
Teams competing in the West Regional are Southern California, Arizona, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Stanford, Georgia, Baylor, Texas A&M, Pepperdine, LSU, Denver, South Carolina, Ohio State, Oregon, UNLV, California, Florida State, Miami, San Jose State, Harvard, Kent State, Northern Arizona, North Dakota State and Long Island. Jennifer Coleman (Colorado), Sammi Stevens (New Mexico), A Ram Choi (Portland State), Luciane Lee (UC Irvine) and Michelle Park (UC Irvine) will join Wearn in competing as individuals.
UNCG’s Cnops earns at-large NCAA bid
GREENSBORO, N.C. – UNCG sophomore women’s golfer Fanny Cnops was selected as just one of 18 individuals to earn an NCAA regional bid by the NCAA Women’s Golf Committee, joining 72 team selections in three regionals May 9-11. This is the second straight season that Cnops has been chosen as an NCAA Regional participant.
Cnops earned a bid to play as one of six individuals in the NCAA Central Regional, hosted by the University of Oklahoma at Jimmie Austin OU Golf Club in Norman, Okla. Twenty-four teams were also selected to play in the Central Regional, where a total of 126 golfers will compete for a chance to advance to the NCAA Championship. Eight teams and two individuals from each regional will advance to the finals.
Cnops is a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Year selection, earning her second straight honor this season after leading the league with a 73.09 stroke average. She posted four top-five finishes, eight top-20 finishes and placed in the top 25 in all 10 events this year. Additionally, she represented her home country of Belgium in the 2012 World Team Championships in Turkey, finishing 12th overall.
The championships finals will be held May 21-24 at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens, Ga., and will be hosted by the University of Georgia.