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Lobo Women's Golf To Participate In NCAA Championships
Lobos look to make some noise in national title hunt.
May 17, 2001 Women's Golf to Participate in 2001 NCAA Women's Golf Championships Update -- The University of New Mexico women's golf team qualified for the 2001 NCAA Women's Golf Championships, May 22-25 in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. with their fifth place finish at the NCAA East Regional (May 10-12).
Course/Format -- The Mission Inn Golf & Tennis Resort will host the NCAA Women's Golf Championships. The course, El Campeon, plays to a par 72 on 6,106 yards. Stetson University, Central Florida Sports Authority and Mission Inn Golf & Tennis Resort will host the four day tournament. The Championship format includes 18-holes each day to comprise a 72-hole tournament. The four top scores of each round will count towards the team total. Tee times begin at 7:30 a.m. (EDT).
Championships Field -- There are 24 teams and six individuals participating in the NCAA Championship including: Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, California, Duke, Georgia, Kent State, Louisiana State, Michigan State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Pepperdine, Purdue, San Jose State, South Carolina, South Florida, Southern California, Stanford, Texas, Tulsa, UCLA and Washington. Individuals include: Sarah Sasse (Nebraska), Allie Blomquist (Wisconsin), Marta Prieto (Wake Forest), Meredith Ward (Vanderbilt), Young-A Yang (Tennessee) and Meaghan Francella (Memphis).
New Mexico in the NCAA's -- This will be the 11th time New Mexico has qualified for the NCAA Women's Golf Championships since 1982. UNM's best finish was in 1985 when the Lobos placed sixth. 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 is the only Lobo on the roster with NCAA Championships experience. As a freshman Webb finished tied for sixth individually in 1998 finishing with a tournament score of 287. As a team the Lobos finished tied for eighth with their lowest tournament score in the NCAAs with 1,199.
Top team finishes at the NCAA's... Year Finish Score Host School 1998 T8th 1199 Wisconsin 1996 17th 1308 UCLA 1995 15th 1232 UNC-Wilmington 1992 16th 1267 Georgia 1988 14th 1222 New Mexico State 1987 7th 1205 New Mexico 1985 6th 1257 Amherst College 1984 8th 1245 Georgia @ Florida 1983 12th 1242 Georgia 1982 8th 1251 Stanford 2001 POSTSEASON ACTION NCAA Women's Golf Championships (May 10-12) -- Chapel Hill, N.C. -- New Mexico finished fifth at the NCAA East Regional thereby qualifying for nationals. UNM finished with a tournament score of 902. 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.
2001 Mountain West Conference Championships -- Sunriver, Ore. -- The University of New Mexico women's golf team captured its second straight conference title by a 26-shot margin at the 2001 Mountain West Conference Women's Golf Championships held in Sunriver, Ore., Apr. 23-25. New Mexico shot a third round 283, setting a new MWC Championships tournament single round low. For the tournament, the Lobos three-round score of 861 (+9) was also a MWC record. This is the 11th conference title for the New Mexico women's golf program since it began conference competition in 1978. Individually for the Lobos, senior Ryley Webb took individual medalist honors by one-shot (209-210) over teammate Elisa Kase. Webb shot a third round 69 (-2) to capture her first tournament title as a Lobo. Kase shot even par (71) to place second. Junior Claudia Ferrini finished in fourth place carding a third-round 70 (-1) finishing with a tournament score of 217 (+4). Freshman Kristi Larsen finished 13th with a tournament score of 227 (+14) followed by teammate Kellyn Newman, also a freshman, who placed tied for 14th with a tournament score of 228 (+15). Head coach Jackie Booth was named 2001 MWC Coach of the Year, Kristi Larsen was named 2001 MWC Freshman of the Year and three Lobos were named to the All-Conference Team including Larsen, Webb and Kase.
Kase named MWC Golfer of the Week -- Senior Elisa Kase was named the Mountain West Conference Women's Golfer of the Week (Mar. 26-30) for her efforts at the UCLA Bruin Classic. Kase had her best finish this season (tied for 10th place) at the Classic and her second best performance of her Lobo career (tied for 3rd at the 2000 MWC Championships). She finished tied for 10th among 105 competitors scoring one of her lowest rounds - 72 (Stanford Intercollegiate and UCLA Bruin Classic) in helping the Lobos to its best finish of the Spring season (6th place) at the UCLA Bruin Classic.
Rankings -- In the latest Golfweek poll (released May 14) New Mexico in team rankings jumped one spot from No. 26 to No. 25. In MasterCard Collegiate Rankings (released May 2) the Lobos climb one spot from No. 31 to No. 30. Individually for the Lobos senior Ryley Webb earned her highest individual ranking of the season at No. 62. Freshman Kristi Larsen is ranked No. 108 followed by senior Elisa Kase at No. 124 and junior Claudia Ferrini at No. 126. Freshman Kellyn Newman comes in at No. 610. All individual rankings are from Golfweek (5/14).
NCAA Travel Squad -- The Lobo lineup includes seniors Ryley Webb, and Elisa Kase. Junior Claudia Ferrini and freshman Kristi Larsen and Kellyn Newman round out the Lobo squad.
Head Coach Jackie Booth-- For her efforts with the Lobo women's golf program this season Jackie Booth was named the 2001 MWC Coach of the Year. Earlier this year Booth was named the 2001 LPGA Central Section Coach of the Year as presented by Spaulding, the second such honor while at New Mexico. In her fourth year at the helm of the New Mexico women's golf program Booth has coached the Lobos to two consecutive MWC Championships. This season Lobo golfers claimed MWC postseason honors including Freshman of the Year (Kristi Larsen), and three all-conference honors (Webb, Kase, Larsen). During her tenure at UNM Booth has coached the MWC co-woman's golfer of the year, two NCAA All-Americans (second team and honorable mention), four all-conference athletes, three National Golf Coaches Association Scholar Athletes and three all-conference scholar athletes. Accolades keep pouring in for UNM's Booth. In 1998 she was named 1998 LPGA National Coach of the Year as presented by Spaulding and has been named Central Section coach of the year twice since becoming the head coach at UNM. Booth has taken the Lobos to the 1998 NCAA Women's Golf Championships and participated in the NCAA Regionals every year.
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