Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Junior Lisa Maunu's three-round score of 225 (+9) led the Irish at the NCAA Central Regional.

 
Irish Conclude Season With 16th-Place Showing At Central Regional

Notre Dame finishes with a 925 (+61) and 23 shots away from the cut line.

May 10, 2008

AUSTIN, Texas - The Notre Dame women's golf team fired a 305 (+17) on Saturday during the final round of the NCAA Central Regional at the par 72, 6,301-yard The University of Texas Golf Club. The Fighting Irish finished with a three-round total of 925 (302-318-305) and in 16th place, 23 shots away from the cut.

The three-round score and final placing of 16th are both Notre Dame program records for NCAA Tournament play. Notre Dame's 14-over par 302 in the first round also is a program record for NCAA competition. This marked the third team trip to the NCAAs for the Fighting Irish.

UCLA, the third-ranked team in the nation, won the Central Regional with a three-under par 861 (283-293-285), which included Saturday's top round, a three-under par 285. Purdue finished 10 shots in back with an 871 (288-294-289) and Denver was third after carding an 882 (292-298-292).

The top eight teams and top-two individuals on non-qualifying teams from each of the nation's three regionals advanced to the NCAA Finals, which will be held May 20-23 in Albuquerque, N.M.

The remaining teams from the Central Regional to punch their tickets to the finals were TCU (884), Texas A&M (885), Alabama (896), Texas (899) and LSU (902). LSU defeated Florida State to gain the eighth and final spot.

Purdue's Maria Hernandez (66-73-69) and UCLA's Maria Jose Uribe (65-73-70) shared medalist honors as they both notched eight-under par 208 totals. Valentine Derrey from TCU entered play on Saturday with a one-shot lead, yet finished third with a 210 (67-70-73).

Pacing the Fighting Irish at the tournament was junior co-captain Lisa Maunu (St. Thomas, Ontario/Parkside Collegiate Institute), who concluded the three-day event with a nine-over par 225 (73-78-74) and in a five-way tie for 30th. Her two-over par 74 was the top round of the day for the Irish. Maunu's nine-over par final tally marked the top 54-hole performance in NCAA competition from a Notre Dame women's golfer.

Notre Dame freshman So-Hyun Park (Seoul, South Korea/Bradenton Prep) concluded with a 15-over par 231 (74-79-78) and tied for 55th. Sophomore Kristin Wetzel (Middletown, N.Y./Hilton Head Prep) fired a 236 (+20/76-83-77) and finished tied at 74th out of the 108-golfer field.

Katie Conway (79-83-76) (Wading River, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) carded her top round of the event on Saturday, a four-over par 76. The Notre Dame freshman's final 54-hole score of 238 (+22/79-83-76) placed her in a tie at 77th. Sophomore Annie Brophy (Spokane, Wash..Gonzaga Prep) completed the Fighting Irish lineup with a 240 (+24/84-78-78) and tied for 84th.

Full results of the NCAA Central Regional are available through Golfstat.com and TexasSports.com. For additional information, log on to ncaasports.com or und.com.

NCAA Central Regional
The University of Texas Golf Club
Austin, Texas, Par 72, 6,301 yards

Top-Eight Teams (NCAA Final Qualifiers) (54-hole totals): 1. UCLA 861 (283-293-285), 2. Purdue 871 (288-294-289), 3. Denver 882 (292-298-292), 4. TCU 884 (285-300- 299), 5. Texas A&M 885 (295-302-288), 6. Alabama 896 (304-293-299), 7. Texas 899 (299-297-303), 8. LSU* 902 (300-302-300) ... 16. Notre Dame 925 (305-318-302)
* - defeated Florida State in playoff for eighth place

Top-4 Golfers (of 108): 1t. Maria Hernandez (Purdue) 208 (66-73-69), 1t. Maria Jose Uribe (UCLA) 208 (65-73-70), 3. Valentine Derrey (TCU) 210 (67-70-73), 4. Tiffany Joh (UCLA) 211 (73-70-68)

Notre Dame Scores: 30t. Lisa Maunu 225 (73-78-74), 55t. So-Hyun Park 231 (74-79-78), 74t. Kristin Wetzel 236 (76-83-77), 77t. Katie Conway 238 (79-83-76), 84t. Annie Brophy 240 (84-78-78)