May 12, 2009

UC IRVINE COMPETES AT LAKE MERCED: Coach Paul Smolinski's UC Irvine men's golf team competes in the NCAA West Regional Thursday through Saturday (May 14-16) at Lake Merced Golf Club in Daly City, Calif.

The Anteaters are the ninth seed in the 13-team regional. Six regionals are being conducted this week with the top five teams plus the low individual not on those teams advancing to the NCAA Championship at The Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, May 25-30.

This is the eighth trip to a regional in the past nine years for the UCI program. The Anteaters placed third in the NCAA East Regional last year at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn., to earn a berth in the NCAA Championship.

UCI has competed in the NCAA Championship three times (1992, 2001 and 2008).

THE UC IRVINE LINEUP: Junior John Chin leads UCI with a 71.43 average and six top-10 finishes this season. He was named Big West Conference Player of the Year for the second straight season.

Senior Sean Shahi has a 72.26 average and six top-10 showings. He was named to the All-Big West second team.

Sophomore Bryan Harris has a 73.71 average, freshman Roberto Francioni is averaging 73.86 and sophomore Max Greil 76.25.

Francioni was Big West co-Freshman of the Year this season.

UC IRVINE`S PROGRAM: Head coach Paul Smolinski has led the Anteater program to five Big West Conference titles in the past nine years (2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008).

UCI has posted six top-five finishes in 12 tournaments in 2008-09.

UC IRVINE`S LINEUP FOR NCAA REGIONAL:

1. John Chin (Jr.) -- 71.43 ave.
2. Sean Shahi (Sr.) -- 72.26 ave.
3. Roberto Francioni (Fr.) -- 73.86 ave.
4. Bryan Harris (So.) -- 73.71 ave.
5. Max Greil (So.) -- 76.25 ave.

Head Coach: Paul Smolinski (11th Year)
Assistant Coach: Jim Shufelt

COACH SMOLINSKI: Paul Smolinski is in his 11th year as head coach of the UC Irvine men's golf team, joining the Anteater program in July 1998.

He has led UCI to Big West Conference titles in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2008. Smolinski's UCI teams have advanced to NCAA regional play eight of the past nine years and he guided UCI to NCAA Division I Championship appearances in 2001 and 2008.

Smolinski is a six-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year, earning the award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Over the past nine seasons, 31 of his Anteater players have earned all-conference distinction.