Tide Women's Golf Concludes Season at NCAA Regional
5/22/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
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BATON ROUGE, La.-- The Alabama women’s golf team concluded the 2001-02 season with a final round 304 on Saturday to finish 19th in the NCAA East Regional at the LSU University Club.
The Crimson Tide, making its second consecutive postseason appearance and fourth in the last six years, carded its best round of the weekend and one of its best of the spring season on the final day. Alabama finished the three-day event with a tournament total 924.
“I liked the determination we played with today,” said 14-year UA head coach Betty Palmer. “We are disappointed in not advancing to the NCAA Championship but I thought we played a pretty solid final round. Our problem was that we dug too deep of a hole on the first two days. This team has been to the NCAA Regional for two seasons and now knows what they have to do to advance. Hopefully this experience will get them focused and determined to work even harder this summer.”
Senior All-American Sarah Johnston recorded her ninth Top 20 showing of the year finishing in a tie for 18th at 220. Johnston carded a final round even-par 72 in her final collegiate round of competition. Freshman Darby Sligh matched her spring season low round shooting a 74 on Saturday. Sligh posted a tournament total of 233 (75th).
Others competing for the Tide at the NCAA Regional included Anna Strandberg at 234 (78-79-77), Mandy Tedder 240 (80-79-81) and Erica Boozman 244 (82-80-82).
The top eight finishers in the regional field advanced to the NCAA Championship on May 21-24 in Auburn, Wash. Duke captured the team title at the event finishing with a three-day course record 859 with Auburn earning runner-up honors 13 shots behind the Blue Devils at 872. Wake Forest (875), Florida (878), South Florida (883), South Carolina (889), Georgia (892) and Vanderbilt (893) all advanced to the NCAA Championships.
The remainder of the field at the East Regional finished like this: Tulane (894), Tennessee (896), Memphis (897), LSU (898), Furman (903), North Carolina State (907), Central Florida (912), North Carolina (916), Mississippi State (917), Texas A&M (918), Alabama, Yale (967) and Jackson State (986).
Duke’s Leigh Anne Hardin fired a three-day six-under-par 210 to capture the individual medalist honor edging Auburn’s Celeste Troche by a single shot. LSU’s Meredith Duncan, playing on her home course, finished third at 213 and advanced to the NCAA Championship as an individual qualifier. Memphis’ Meaghan Francella (215) joined Duncan as an individual qualifier from the East Regional.
The University of Alabama women’s golf team finished the year with six Top 10 showings and also earned a Top 50 finish in the national rankings.
Alabama Results (Final)
19th Alabama 308-312-304—924
T18 Sarah Johnston 74-74-72—220
T75 Darby Sligh 76-83-74—233
T77 Anna Strandberg 78-79-77—234
T92 Mandy Tedder 80-79-81—240
T97 Erica Boozman 82-80-82—244
