May 8, 2008
Complete Results and Live Tournament Scoring
LINCOLN HILLS, Calif. -- Freshman Chelsea Stelzmiller fired a 72 and senior Sydney Roughton had a 1-over 73 as UC Davis made its Division I postseason debut on Thursday in a tie for 15th place after the first round of the NCAA Women's Golf West Regional at Lincoln Hills Golf Club.
UC Davis, which was 17-over near the end of its round, battled back to forge a tie with San Jose State on the 6,338-yard layout, ending the round with a team score of 300. Second-ranked Southern California shot a 5-under 283 and leads No. 28 Tulsa - the only other team below par - by four strokes. No. 47 UNLV is third at 288.
The 54-hole tournament is one of three 21-team regionals being contested this week. The top eight teams in each regional, along with the top individual not on an advancing team, will qualify for the national finals on May 20-23 at the University of New Mexico.
Four teams ended the first day in a logjam for that coveted eighth position, each tied for sixth at 7-over. The Aggies are just one shot behind No. 36 Ohio State, No. 41 Oklahoma and No. 12 Arizona who are all tied for 12th place. Big West Conference rival UC Irvine is two shots behind in 17th.
Stelzmillier is tied for 18th while Roughton is tied for 25th in the 108-player field which also includes three players competing as individuals. Freshman Alice Kim is tied for 65th after shooting 77, freshman Katie Sisler had a 78 and is tied for 74th, and junior Bryana Gregory is tied for 85th after opening with a 79.
Stelzmiller - the Big West Player of the Year and also its Freshman of the Year - was two shots over par but birdied a pair of par-5 holes at No. 8 and No. 10 to get back to even before ending her round with a three at the par-3 11th. UC Davis players started their rounds on Thursday on the course's 12th hole.
Roughton also finished strong, posting consecutive birdies on the par-4 9th and also the 10th hole to get back to just one shot over par. She finished her day with four birdies. Kim had 12 pars in her round, Sisler ended well with two birdies on the last two par-5 holes, and Gregory had 11 pars and a birdie.
Paolo Moreno of USC and Alison Walshe of Arizona are tied for the lead after shooting 68's on Thursday and own a one-shot lead over four players. Seventeen players carded scores in the red while Stelzmiller was one of seven players shooting par.
UC Davis, which finished second at the Big West Championships and earned an at-large berth to the regional, is in only its third year of varsity competition and is in its first official season of Division I status.
Third-ranked UCLA has a two-shot lead at the NCAA Central Regional at the University of Texas while No. 1 Duke owns a five-shot advantage at the East Regional at the University of Georgia.
Teams will continue with 18 holes on Friday before concluding the regional with 18 on Saturday.
NCAA WEST REGIONAL
Lincoln Hills Golf Club (Lincoln Hills GC)
Par 72, 6,338 yards
18- of 54-hole totals
TEAMS
1. Southern California, 283
2. Tulsa, 287
3. UNLV, 288
4. Arkansas, 291
5. Oklahoma State, 293
T6. Brigham Young, 295
T6. Michigan State, 295
T6. Stanford, 295
T6. California, 295
10. Arizona State, 296
11. North Carolina, 297
T12. Arizona, 299
T12. Ohio State, 299
T12. Oklahoma, 299
T15. UC DAVIS, 300
T15. San Jose State, 300
17. UC Irvine, 302
18. Oregon, 303
19. Fresno State, 306
20. Portland State, 308
21. Oral Roberts, 310
INDIVIDUALS
T1. Paola Moren, USC, 68
T1. Alison Walshe, Ariz., 68
UC DAVIS
T18. Chelsea Stelzmiller, 72
T25. Sydney Roughton, 73
T65. Alice Kim, 77
T74. Katie Sisler, 78
T85. Bryana Gregory, 79
