GREENVILLE, N.C. – The No. 22 Florida women’s golf team lost it grip on the final team-qualifying spot Saturday in the East Regional for this year’s NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships, ending head coach Jan Dowling’s first season on a low note.
The Gators, who entered Saturday’s final round at the Ironwood Golf Club sitting in the eighth and final team spot by two strokes over Texas Christian and Texas Tech, totaled a 21-over-par 309 for a 54-hole total of 890 that was 10 strokes behind TCU. The Lady Horned Frogs shot 297 and finished with a three-round total of 880 that earned the final team spot.
South Carolina, led by medalist Katie Burnett’s 6-under-par 210 total, won the team championship with the day’s best total – a 2-over-par 290 – that left USC with a 54-hole total of even-par 864. Tennessee was second at 866, two strokes ahead of Auburn and Duke (868). Those four teams were followed by Vanderbilt (871), Tulane (873), Pepperdine (877) and TCU (880).
In addition to the eight schools advancing to the finals at the Country Club of Landfall in Wilmington, N.C., May 18-21, two individuals not on those teams also qualified and neither was a Gator. They were Texas Tech’s Rosalyn Kim, who finished third with a 4-under-par 212 total, one shot ahead of East Tennessee State’s Nina Muehl.
“Obviously it’s a pretty tough day to swallow for the entire team,” Dowling said. “Hopefully this feeling will motivate the team to work hard throughout the summer and improve. I know that they are a much better team than what they’ve shown. I believe in them and I just think they need to believe in themselves. I know that they will work hard this summer and improve on the areas that need improvement.”
Freshman Mia Piccio, who opened with a 3-under-par 69 as Florida grabbed fifth place after the first round, shot a 2-over-par 74 Saturday and finished with a 54-hole total of 3-over-par 219 for a piece of 26th place.
Fellow freshman Isabelle Lendl, who also shot an opening 69, shot a second-straight 77 to finish with a 7-over-par 223, tied for 47th place. Lendl’s sophomore sister Marika shot a six-over 78 to finish at 224 (48th).
Sophomores Evan Jensen and Andrea Watts both finished in a tie for 73rd place with 12-over-par totals of 228. Jensen finished with an 81, while Watts had an 80.
NCAA EAST REGIONAL / East Carolina University / Greenville, N.C. / Ironwood Golf Club (par: 72; yardage: 6,321) / Saturday, May 8 final round
TEAMS
1. (29) South Carolina 864 (283-291-290) (E); 2. (18) Tennessee 866 (283-287-296) (+2); 3. (tie) (4) Auburn 868 (280-295-293) (+4) and (3) Duke 868 (290-278-300) (+4); 5. (15) Vanderbilt 871 (292-287-292) (+7); 6. (33) Tulane 873 (285-295-293) (+9); 7. (11) Pepperdine 877 (281-290-306) (+13); 8. (19) Texas Christian 880 (287-296-297) (+16).
Did not qualify
9. (tie) (43) Texas Tech 887 (285-298-304) (+23) and (9) Wake Forest 887 (296-295-296) (+23); 11. (22) Florida 890 (284-297-309) (+26); 12. East Carolina 895 (293-305-297) (+31); 13. (27) North Carolina 899 (294-292-313) (+35); 14. (47) Campbell 902 (297-307-298) (+38); 15. (48) East Tennessee State 903 (285-304-314) (+39); 16. Furman 904 (305-296-303) (+40); 17. (38) Washington 907 (305-295-307) (+43); 18. (37) Chattanooga 910 (293-301-316) (+46); 19. (tie) Stetson 911 (298-306-307) (+47) and Coastal Carolina 911 (307-296-308) (+47); 21. (44) Georgia State 917 (290-310-317) (+53); 22. College of Charleston 921 (297-310-314) (+57); 23. Charleston Southern 948 (315-318-315) (+84); 24. Fairleigh Dickinson 990 (327-331-332) (+126).
11. (22) Florida 890 (284-297-309) (+26): T26. Mia Piccio 219 (69-76-74) (+3); T47. Isabelle Lendl 223 (69-77-77) (+7); T54. Marika Lendl 224 (73-73-78) (+8); T73. Evan Jensen 228 (74-73-81) (+12) and Andrea Watts 228 (73-75-80) (+12).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
210 (-6): (67) Katie Burnett (South Carolina) 67-72-71. (1)
211 (-5): (72) Carlie Yadloczky (Auburn) 68-73-70. (2)
212 (-4): Rosalyn Kim (Texas Tech) 70-69-73. (3) (individual qualifier)
213 (-3): Nina Muehl (East Tennessee State) 64-76-73 (individual qualifier), Erica Popson (Tennessee) 72-68-73. (T4)
214 (-2): Danielle Kang (Pepperdine) 67-72-75. (6)
215 (-1): Abby Bools (East Carolina) 73-73-69, (76) Diana Cantu (Tennessee) 69-74-72. (T7)
216 (E): (3) Marina Alex (Vanderbilt) 72-73-71, (87) Valentine Derrey (Texas Christian) 69-75-72, (14) Nathalie Mansson (Tennessee) 72-71-73, Iliska Verwey (Georgia State) 70-71-75. (T9)
217 (+1): Corrine Carr (South Carolina) 72-71-74, (82) Kim Donovan (Duke) 71-68-78, (8) Lindy Duncan (Duke) 72-70-75, Megan Grehan (Vanderbilt) 74-70-73, Louise Kristersson (Texas Christian) 70-73-74, Charlotte Lorentzen (Georgia State) 70-74-73. (T13)
218 (+2): Brooke Goodwin (Vanderbilt) 73-70-75, Stacey Kim (Duke) 72-71-75, Ashley McKenney (Tulane) 73-73-72, Candace Schepperle (Auburn) 71-72-75, Benedicte Toumpsin (South Carolina) 74-72-72, Samantha Troyanovich (Tulane) 71-76-71, Alison Whitaker (Duke) 75-69-74. (T19)
219 (+3): Brooke Beeler (Texas Christian) 73-71-75, Mia Piccio (Florida) 69-76-74), Michelle Shin (Wake Forest) 74-70-75, Cheyenne Woods (Wake Forest) 74-75-70. (T26)
CENTRAL REGIONAL / Indiana University / Columbus, Ind. / Otter Creek Golf Course (par: 72; yardage: 6,417) / Saturday, May 8 final round
TEAMS
1. (5) Southern California 907 (299-304-304) (+43); 2. (2) Arizona State 915 (297-310-308) (+51); 3. (8) Purdue 931 (303-320-308) (+67); 4. (21) New Mexico 936 (306-318-312) (+72); 5. (26) Oklahoma State 937 (305-308-324) (+73); 6. (tie) (23) Florida State 939 (308-321-310) (+75) and (31) Oregon 939 (305-316-318) (+75); 8. (34) Kent State 940 (309-319-312) (+76).
Did not qualify
9. (16) Denver 941 (312-313-316) (+77); 10. (10) Michigan State 942 (310-316-316) (+78); 11. (14) Georgia 946 (312-314-320) (+82); 12. (49) Mississippi 952 (309-317-326) (+88); 13. (46) San Diego State 954 (319-316-319) (+90); 14. (28) Louisville 956 (315-324-317) (+92); 15. (40) Northwestern 957(321-322-314) (+93); 16. Baylor 968 (316-329-323) (+104); 17. (42) Notre Dame 970 (328-319-323) (+106); 18. Indiana 971 (318-328-325) (+107); 19. Illinois State 973 (317-329-327) (+109); 20. Tulsa 977 (324-330-323) (+113); 21. North Carolina State 984 (328-324-332) (+120); 22. Murray State 1,023 (336-347-340) (+159); 23. Detroit-Mercy 1,064 (352-354-358) (+200); 24. Jackson State 1,078 (357-357-364) (+214).
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS
219 (+3): (88) Martina Gavier (Kent State) 72-75-72. (1)
221 (+5): (12) Lizette Salas (Southern California) 75-71-75. (2)
223 (+7): (20) Marta Silva Zamora (Georgia) 75-76-72 (individual qualifier). (3)
226 (+10): (6) Caroline Hedwall (Oklahoma State) 77-73-76; (80) Thea Hoffmeister (Purdue) 70-81-75; (46) Victoria Park (Oklahoma State) 72-74-80. (T4)
227 (+11): (18) Juliana Murcia (Arizona State) 71-79-77. (7)
228< (+12): (9) Carlota Ciganda (Arizona State) 76-77-75; (5) Jodi Ewart (New Mexico) 72-77-79; (50) Kendra Little (Oregon) 70-79-79. (T8)
229 (+13): (36) Kimberly Kim (Denver) 73-81-75 (individual qualifier). (11)
230 (+14): Malin Enarsson (San Diego State) 72-77-81; Cheyenne Hickle (Oregon) 77-78-75; (7) Jennifer Johnson (Arizona State) 75-78-77; (33) Jaclyn Sweeney (Arizona State) 75-76-79. (T12)
231 (+15): Laura Anderson (Louisville) 74-84-73; (62) Becca Huffer (Notre Dame) 75-79-77; Belen Mozo (Southern California) 77-81-73; Inah Park (Southern California) 73-79-79; Cyna Rodriguez (Southern California) 74-77-80; (2) Jennifer Song (Southern California). 77-77-77. (T16)
WEST REGIONAL / Stanford University / Stanford, Calif. / Stanford Golf Course (par: 71; yardage: 6,115) / Saturday, May 8 final round
TEAMS
1. (7) Arizona 876 (291-294-291) (+24); 2. (1) UCLA 885 (292-296-297) (+33); 3. (tie) (32) Texas 890 (293-304-293) (+38) and (6) Alabama 890 (295-300-295) (+38); 5. (13) Virginia 894 (291-305-298) (+42); 6. (17) Stanford 895 (297-304-294) (+43); 7. (45) San Jose State 900 (303-299-298) (+48); 8. (25) Texas A&M 903 (299-302-302) (+51)
Did not qualify
9. (20) Louisiana State 904 (302-295-307) (+52); 10. Iowa State 908 (302-297-309) (+56); 11. (24) California 909 (292-305-312) (+57); 12. (12) Ohio State 910 (296-307-307) (+58); 13. (35) Arkansas 911 (308-299-304) (+59); 14. Colorado State 912 (304-302-306) (+60); 15. (30) UC Davis 913 (308-307-298) (+61); 16. (36) UNLV 918 (295-306-317) (+66); 17. (39) UC Irvine 927 (302-313-312) (+75); 18. Maryland 928 (316-306-306) (+76); 19. Idaho 938 (312-314-312) (+86); 20. Portland State 942 (309-317-316) (+90); 21. (41) San Francisco 946 (312-325-309) (+94); 22. Texas State 948 (317-323-308) (+96); 23. Oral Roberts 955 (319-318-318) (+103); 24. Pennsylvania 977 (329-323-325) (+125).
INDIVIDUALS
214 (+1): (45) Calie Nielson (Virginia) 72-71-71; Madeleine Ziegert (San Jose State) 67-74-73. (T1)
215 (+2): (99) Nikki Koller (Arizona) 71-73-71; Haley Stephens (Texas) 70-77-68. (T3)
217 (+3): (11) Camilla Lennarth (Alabama) 73-70-74. (5)
218 (+4): (16) Megan McChrystal (Louisiana State) 71-71-76 (individual qualifier). (6)
219 (+5): Alejandra Lianeza (Arizona) 72-73-74; (69) Ellen Mueller (Oklahoma) 76-72-71 (individual qualifier); (51) Sally Watson (Stanford) 75-71-73. (T7)
220 (+6): (4) Stephanie Kono (UCLA) 72-73-75; (24) Margarita Ramos (Arizona) 71-74-75. (T10)
221 (+7): (32) Brittany Altomare (Virginia) 70-75-76; Laurence Herman (Iowa State) 76-73-72; Teresa Puga (Minnesota) 74-76-71; (98) Glory Yang (UCLA) 75-72-74; (78) Sarah Zwartynski (Texas A&M) 78-72-71. (T12)
222 (+8): Amy Anderson (North Dakota State) 77-73-72; Teo Poplawski (Idaho) 75-75-72; Chelsea Steizmiller (UC Davis) 74-75-73. (T17)