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Cougars Finish 21st at NCAA West Regional
Merizalde finishes seven-over-par and in 51st place.
May 20, 2002
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - With a final round 11-over-par 299 BYU fails to advance to the NCAA Championships finishing 21st at the NCAA West Regional on Saturday. The Cougars were led by senior All-American Manuel Merizalde who shot the lone below par round for BYU in the tournament. In his last round as a BYU Cougar, Merizalde carded a two-under 70 to finish seven-over-par and in 51st place. Sophomore Devin Heid had a final round 75 to bounce back from high scores in the first two rounds. This was also the last collegiate tournament for Kyle Wight who finished 14-over par and in 105th place. The Cougar Freshmen, Ron Harvey Jr. and Greg Machtaler shot final round 77's and finished in 60th place and 72nd place respectively. Harvey, Machtaler and Heid will be the backbone of talented, but young Cougar team next season. In addition to these players the Cougars will add three extremely talented recruits (Daniel Summerhays, Oscar Alvarez and Mitch Carlson) who will contribute immediately next season. For the second consecutive season the Cougars failed to advance past the NCAA West Regional. The last time BYU advanced to the NCAA Championships was in 2000 when the Cougars finished 2nd at the NCAA West Regional in Fresno.
Host New Mexico shot a tournament low 4-under final round to finish in a tie for first with the University of Washington, who is coached by former BYU Cougar Matthew Thurmond. Three Mountain West Conference schools advance to the NCAA Championships.
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