Top-Seeded Crimson Tide Begin Play at NCAA East Regional
5/4/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 4, 2011
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - The University of Alabama women's golf team will tee off at the NCAA East Regional on the par-72, 6,271-yard Legends Course at LPGA International on Thursday morning.
The regional, which runs May 5-7, marks the sixth straight year that the Crimson Tide has reached the NCAA Regional's under head coach Mic Potter, the longest consecutive streak in team history, and the 13th overall appearance. It also marks the 10th appearance in the NCAA East Regional for the Tide.
The Tide enters the tournament as the No. 1 seed in the 24-team East Regional. UA is ranked No. 3 nationally in this week's Golf World/NGCA D-I Coaches poll. The nation's top-ranked team, USC, is the No. 1 seed in the NCAA West Regional and No. 2 UCLA is the top seed in the NCAA Central Regional
Purdue is the No. 2-seed in the East Regional while California garnered the No. 3 seed. Arizona State is the fourth seed with Auburn fifth. Along with the Tide and Tigers, four other Southeastern Conference teams will be in Daytona Beach, including No. 8-seed Vanderbilt, No. 9 Florida, No. 14 Mississippi and No. 20 Kentucky.
The top eight finishers at the NCAA East Regional will advance to the NCAA Championships at the Traditions Club on May 18-21 in Bryan, Texas.
The four players at the top of the Crimson Tide's lineup is one of the strongest in women's collegiate golf with all four ranked in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index top 40.
Junior Brooke Pancake ranks seventh in the most recent Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index after finishing tied for sixth at the SEC Championships at 1-over-par 217. She leads the team in scoring average at 72.11, and is making her third NCAA Regional appearance. Pancake finished seventh at the NCAA East Regional in 2009 and 10th out west in 2010.
Freshman Stephanie Meadow has vaulted all the way to No. 8 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. The native of Jordanstown, Northern Ireland, is one shot off of the team scoring lead at 72.15 and has been the Crimson Tide's top finisher in each of the five spring tournaments, including wins at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic and Sugar Bowl Intercollegiate. Her 72.15 scoring average is nearly a full stroke better than Jennifer Kirby's freshman record of 73.06 set last season.
Senior Camilla Lennarth, a veteran making her fourth NCAA Regional appearance, has a 73.26 scoring average. The two-time first-team All-SEC selection is ranked 25th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. She has four top-10 finishes this season and has carded 10 rounds under par this year and five rounds in the 60s.
Sophomore Jennifer Kirby earned second-team All-SEC honoree. She has a 73.96 scoring average and ranks 39th in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. Kirby has four top-20 showings this season and three top 10s while carding seven rounds under par and two rounds in the 60s.
True freshman Hannah Collier is making her third consecutive start after finishing tied for sixth at the SEC Championship. Collier is averaging 75.17 in her nine rounds as a part of the Alabama lineup.
Last season Alabama finished tied for third at the NCAA West Regional to earn a berth in the NCAA Championships where they went on to post the school's best finish with a third-place showing. The Tide shot 38-over-par 890 to finish 14 shots back of Arizona. Lennarth led the way for the Crimson Tide with a 4-over-par 217 at the Stanford Golf Course.
Alabama will tee off No. 1 at 8:06 a.m. (CDT) and will be playing with Purdue and California. Live stats for the tournament will be available at golfstat.com.
Players Mentioned
