UC Irvine Participates In NCAA West Regional
May 5, 2009
UCI HEADS TO NCAA WEST REGIONAL: The UC Irvine women’s golf team will participate in the NCAA West Regional May 7-9 at the Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.
Follow the tournament on Golfstat.com
The top eight teams and two individuals from each of the three regional sites advance to the NCAA Championship May 19-22 at the Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Teams participating in the West Regional include Arizona State, USC, Louisiana State, Pepperdine, Arkansas, San Jose State, Arizona, California, UC Irvine, San Francisco, UNLV, TCU, Texas A&M, Oregon, Long Beach State, Colorado, Texas, Baylor, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Northern Arizona and Oral Roberts. UC Davis' Alice Kim and Chelsea Stelzmiller will compete as individuals.
ANTEATERS FINISH IN A TIE FOR SECOND AT THE BIG WEST CHAMPIONSHIPS: UC Irvine shot a tournament low 303 on the final round but it was not enough as Long Beach State won the 2009 Big West team title with a score of 902, one shot ahead of the Anteaters (316-311-303). UC Davis also finished with a score of 903 to tie UCI for second place.
Senior Jane Chin (81-76-71) and junior Patty Chawalitmetha (74-76-78) tied for second with a score of 228. Chin’s 71 was the lowest round of the tournament for the women. Sophomore Hillary Packard tied for seventh after carding a 233 (76-78-78). Freshman Lalita Patipaksiri was tied for 18th at 241 (84-81-76) and Mariko Makabe was tied for 20th at 243 (84-81-78).
UC Irvine had won the previous four Big West titles.
CHIN NAMED BIG WEST GOLFER OF THE YEAR: Senior Jane Chin was named Big West Women's Golfer of the Year.
Chin earned medalist honors three times this season and has finished second three times plus two other top 10 finishes this year.
Chin joins Walailak Satarak (2002) and Selaneé Henderson (2006) in winning the Player of the Year title.
Junior Patty Chawalitmetha, sophomore Hillary Packard and freshman Joy Trotter were named to the All-Big West second team.
UCI CAPTURES THREE TITLES THIS SEASON: UC Irvine has captured three tournament titles this year. In the spring, UCI won the Fresno State Lexus Classic at the Copper River Country Club with a score of 891 (297-294-300). In the fall, the Anteaters finished first at the Price’s “Give’Em Five” Invitational and Coast BMW Invitational. It is the first time in program history that the Anteaters have won three tournaments in a single season.
ANTEATERS IN THE RANKINGS: UC Irvine enters the week ranked No. 25 in the latest Golfstat rankings and 35th on the Golfweek list.
Senior Jane Chin is ranked second in the country in the latest Golfstat rankings and is ninth by GolfWeek. Chin leads the country in Par 3 scoring (2.87) and is tied fourth in Subpar Strokes Per Round (3.50). Freshman Joy Trotter is 12th in Par 5 scorng (4.85).
