UCI Earns Trip to NCAA Finals With 4th-Place Finish at NCAA West Regional

May 9, 2009

TEMPE, Ariz. --- The UC Irvine women's golf team tied for fourth place in the NCAA West Regional that concluded Saturday at Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.

By finishing in the top eight, Coach Julie Brooks' Anteaters earned a berth in the NCAA Finals at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Md., May 19-22. This will be the program's third appearance in the last five years at the NCAA Championship as the 2005 team finished 18th and the '07 squad 19th at the finals.

Arizona State won the West Regional title with a 54-hole total of 22-under par 842. USC finished second at 861, LSU was third at 868 while UCI, TCU and Texas tied for fourth at 873.

Carlota Ciganda of Arizona State was the top individual with a 10-under total of 206 after she shot 1-under 71 in the final round. Jennifer Song of USC shot 68 and was second at 207.

UCI senior Jane Chin tied for third place at 208 along with Arizona State's Juliana Murcia. Chin shot an even-par 72 in Saturday's final round.

Junior Patty Chawalitmetha shot 74 Saturday and placed 35th at 222. Freshmen Lalita Patipaksiri (76) and Joy Trotter (78) tied for 43rd at 223, and sophomore Hillary Packard (81) was 85th at 234.