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UNM Women's Golf Qualifies for Nationals
Lobos Finish Fifth; Senior Webb Places Tied for Seventh
May 12, 2001
Chapel Hill, N.C. -- The University of New Mexico women's golf team secured a spot at the 2001 NCAA Women's Golf Championships with their fifth place finish at the NCAA East Regional today in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Lobos finished with a tournament score of 902. The East Regional will send eight teams and two individuals to the 2001 NCAA Women's Golf Championships slated for May 22-25 in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla.
Duke claimed the East Regional title with a 877 score, eight shots better than runner-up Auburn (879). Teams qualifying for the NCAAs are as follows: Duke, Auburn, Georgia (887), South Florida (899), New Mexico, South Carolina (904), San Jose State ( 907), and Pepperdine (908). Individuals who qualified (not affiliated with the above teams: Wake Forest's Marta Prieto, Vanderbilt's Merdith Ward and TCU's Shannon Barr.
This will be the 11th time New Mexico has qualified for the NCAA Women's Golf Championships since 1982. Their best finish was in 1985 where the Lobos placed 6th. The best individual finish for UNM was former Lobo Caroline Keggi's tournament title in 1987 when New Mexico hosted the tournament.
Senior Ryley Webb continued her stellar play finishing tied for seventh with a tournament score of 219. Webb shot a final round 73 (+1) to finish +3 for the tournament. Senior Elisa Kase came on in the final round also shooting a 73 and finishing tied for 13th with a 223. Junior Claudia Ferrini finished tied for 30th (228) while freshmen Kristi Larsen (tied for 42nd * 232) and Kellyn Newman (72nd * 243) round out the Lobo squad.
In her fourth year at the helm of the New Mexico program head coach Jackie Booth has taken the Lobos to postseason action every year (regional) and has qualified for nationals twice. Booth has captured MWC Coach and Central Section Coach of the Year honors this season.
New Mexico 299-303-300=902 * (+38) T7th Ryley Webb 72-74-73=219 (+3) T13th Elisa Kase 75-75-73=223 (+7) T30th Claudia Ferrini 77-75-76=228 (+12) T42nd Kristi Larsen 75-79-78=232 (+16) 72nd Kellyn Newman 77-81-85=243 (+27)
Tournament Notes from NCAA East Regional: DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER, SEVEN TEAMS WERE UNABLE TO COMPLETE PLAY AT THE NCAA EAST REGIONAL IN CHAPEL HILL, N.C. PLAY WAS STOPPED AT 3:05 DUE TO THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. PLAY RESUMED AT 5:08, BUT WAS HALTED AGAIN AT 7:10 DUE TO THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. AT THAT TIME, OFFICIALS DETERMINED THAT THE TOURNAMENT WAS COMPLETE AND THOSE SEVEN TEAMS TIE FOR 15TH PLACE AND THE INDIVIDUALS THAT DID NOT FINISH ARE TIE FOR 79TH PLACE.
THE TWO INDIVIDUAL SPOTS WILL BE FILLED BY MARTA PRIETO OF WAKE FOREST AND MEREDITH WARD OF VANDERBILT. MEREDITH WARD AND SHANNON BARR OF TCU WERE TIED AT THE END OF 54 HOLES FOR THE FINAL INDIVIDUAL SPOT. A PLAYOFF, HOWEVER, WAS UNABLE TO BE HELD DUE TO THE WEATHER CONDITIONS SO WARD WON THE SPOT BASED ON HER FINAL ROUND SCORE OF 72.
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