Host Wolverines Selected for NCAA Central Regional
4/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
NCAA Central Regional Championships Page
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's golf team received its fourth NCAA Regional team bid in the last seven years today (Monday, April 30). The Wolverines will compete at the Central Regional where they will also serve as the host school at the U-M Golf Course, Thursday through Saturday (May 10-12).
"We are thrilled to have an opportunity to continue our season," said U-M coach Kathy Teichert. "With the opportunity to host the NCAA Central Regional on top of playing in it is just added incentive. We have had a wonderful season so far and have worked so hard getting to this point. For these players to be rewarded for all their efforts just speaks volumes for them. We are looking forward to getting started and to showcasing the U-M Golf Course at such a prestigious event."
The 21 teams competing in the Central Regional include: Georgia, Vanderbilt, Southern California, Tennessee, Arizona, Michigan State, TCU, Baylor, Arkansas, Kent State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Michigan, Missouri, SMU, Maryland, Indiana, UNC Wilmington, Oral Roberts, Southern Illinois, St. Francis (Pa.). The three invited individuals are: UTEP's Gerina Mendoza, Arkansas Little-Rock's Sara Wikstrom and Notre Dame's Noriko Nakazaki.
The Wolverines will begin their quest to the 2007 NCAA Championships by playing a practice round at the U-M Golf Course on Wednesday (May 9). The 54-hole Central Regional consists of 54 holes, with 18 holes being played each day beginning at 8 a.m.
The two other regional sites are: East Regional, hosted by LSU at the University Club in Baton Rouge, La., and the West Regional, hosted by BYU at the Entrada at Snow Canyon Country Club in St. George, Utah.
From each regional, the top eight teams and the top two individuals not on a qualifying team will advance to the NCAA Championship Tuesday through Friday, May 22-25, at the LPGA International Golf Course in Daytona Beach, Fla.
In 11 tournaments this season, the Wolverines posted two team victories, at the Wolverine Invitational (Sept. 30-Oct. 1) and the Indiana Invitational (April 9-10). Overall the Maize and Blue recorded six top-five finishes in 2006-07. U-M has been led all season long by their senior duo of Brianna Broderick (Richmond, Mo./Richmond HS) and Ali Stinson (Penticton, B.C./Penticton Secondary).
A 2007 All-Big Ten second team selection, Broderick posted seven top-20 finishes, five top-10s and four top-fives, and she won the Wolverine Invitational for her second career victory. Broderick has averaged a career-best 75.41 strokes per round, having twice fired a career-best round of 70 this season. She finished as the top Wolverine in six of 11 tournaments this season.
Stinson, who was U-M's Big Ten Sportsmanship honoree, has averaged a career-best 76.66 strokes per round this season. She led the Wolverines at the Big Ten Championships with an eighth-place individual finish after tallying a career-best 305 championships total. She has six top-20 finishes, four top-10s and one top-five on the season.
Both Broderick and Stinson, who are co-captains for the Wolverines, have not missed a single career tournament, starting 46 straight for the Maize and Blue. Together in their careers, they have helped the Wolverines to nine team titles.
Michigan has been represented in regional competition by the team or an individual in six of the last seven seasons, making team appearances in 2001, '02, '05 and now '07. Laura Olin (2004) and Amy Schmucker (2006) made Central Regional appearances as individuals. In 2002, the Wolverines finished sixth at the Central Regional in East Lansing, Mich., to advance to their first appearance at the NCAA Championships, where the Maize and Blue finished 17th.
2007 NCAA Central Regional
Thursday-Saturday, May 10-12
U-M Golf Course Ann Arbor, Mich.
1. Georgia
2. Vanderbilt
3. Southern California
4. Tennessee
5. Arizona
6. Michigan State
7. TCU
8. Baylor
9. Arkansas
10. Kent State
11. Ohio State
12. Northwestern
13. Michigan
14. Missouri
15. SMU
16. Maryland
17. Indiana
18. UNC Wilmington
19. Oral Roberts
20. Southern Illinois
21. St. Francis (Pa.)
Individual 1: Gerina Mendoza, UTEP
Individual 2: Sara Wikstrom, Arkansas Little-Rock
Individual 3: Noriko Nakazaki, Notre Dame
Contact: Tom Wywrot (734) 763-4423
