Published: May 13, 2008 09:55 am      

Bobcats place 18th at NCAA regional

Women’s College Golf

Austin — Paced by Christine Brijalba’s three-over-par 75, the Texas State women’s golf team claimed 18th place at the NCAA Central Regional Championship with a third round score of 317 (+29) at the University of Texas Golf Course on Saturday.

Finishing outside the top eight teams overall, the Bobcats were unable to advance to the NCAA National Championship in Albuquerque, N.M. on May 20, thus ending the team’s noteworthy 2007-08 season. This marks the first year the Bobcats have earned a berth to the NCAA Division I Regional Championships and Texas State won the school’s second Southland Conference Tournament championship since 2002, the first year the league began sponsoring women’s golf, despite playing with a lineup that included one junior (Brijalba) and four freshmen.

Individually, Linn Gustafsson also capped off her outstanding freshman season as she tied for 27th place at the NCAA Central Regional with an 8-over-par, 54-hole-score of 224 after shooting a 7-over-par 79 in the third round. Gustafsson was the Southland Conference Freshman of the Year and won individual medalist honors at the SLC Tournament.

Brijalba also finished among the Top 60 players at the tournament after she fired a score of 231. Caitlin Bliss had a score of 238, while Trine Mortensen ended the tournament with a score of 241 and Sehee Kim finished with 251.

UCLA won the regional with a 3-under-par team score of 861 as the Bruins easily outdistanced second place Purdue by 10 strokes. Denver ended the tournament with a team score of 882 to claim third place, while TCU (884) and Texas A&M (885) rounded out the top five teams. Alabama finished in sixth place with a team score of 896, while Texas finished in seventh place with a team score of 899, while LSU claimed eighth place after winning a playoff over Florida State.

Maria Hernandez of Purdue and Maria Jose Uribe of UCLA tied for individual medalist honors with an 8-under par 208, while Valentine Derrey of TCU finished in third place at -6, and Tiffany Joh of UCLA finished in fourth place at -5.



Lauren Doughtie of North Carolina State and Caroline Westrup of Florida State tied for fifth place and both players qualified for the NCAA National Tournament as individual players.