Women's Golf Heads To NCAA Central Regional

May 8, 2006

MSU Heads To NCAA Central Regional: The No. 27 Michigan State women's golf team heads to the Traditions Club at Bryan, Texas, for the NCAA Central Regional May 11-13 (Thursday-Saturday). It marks the eighth consecutive regional appearance for the Spartans. Live scoring of the tournament will be available at www.golfstat.com.

The NCAA women's golf field consists of three regionals, with 21 teams and three individuals playing each site. The top eight teams and two individuals at each regional advance to the NCAA Championships May 23-26 at the Scarlet Course in Columbus, Ohio. The Spartans are seeded ninth in the Central Regional.

The Course: The Traditions Club is a par-72, 6,289-yard course that was opened in 2004. It was designed by Jack Nicklaus and Jack Nicklaus II and is the home of Texas A&M golf.

The Lineup

-Sophomore Sara Brown

-Senior Dayna Burleigh

-Junior Heather Rose

-Junior Rachel Meikle

-Freshman Holly Niederkohr

Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings: The Spartans enter the NCAA Central Regional ranked No. 27 in the Golfweek/Sagarin Rankings. Individually, sophomore Sara Brown is ranked No. 48. Brown, a first-team All-Big Ten selection, has placed in the top five at three tournaments and in the top 10 at five tournaments this season.

NCAA Central Regional - The Complete Field: The complete field for the NCAA Central Regional is as follows (in order of seeds):

1. Duke2. Southern California3. Pepperdine4. Texas A&M5. Florida6. Oklahoma State7. Kent State8. Ohio State9. Michigan State10. SMU11. TCU12. Missouri13. Baylor14. Tulsa15. Nebraska16. Northwestern17. Texas18. Birmingham-Southern19. Jacksonville State20. Jackson State21. St. Francis

A Look at Last Year's NCAA Central Regionals: MSU placed seventh at the 2005 NCAA Central Regional to advance to its seventh NCAA Championships in school history. The Spartans shot a team score of 909 (300-307-302) and were led by Sara Brown and Heather Rose, who each carded a 226 to tie for 20th. Four of the five Spartans in the lineup at last year's regionals are back this season.

Last Time Out - Big Ten Championships: The No. 27 Michigan State women's golf team placed third at the Big Ten Championships, placing 12 strokes behind team champion Purdue. The Spartans were only two strokes back entering the final round, but carded a team score of 308 on the last day to finish at 1191 (296-294-293-308), while the Boilermakers shot a 298 in the final round and finished with a team score of 1179. Ohio State took second with a score of 1185. It marks the third straight year the Spartans have placed third at the Big Ten Championships.

Individually, sophomore Sara Brown narrowly missed medalist honors, finishing just one stroke shy of Northwestern's Alice Kim to tie for second. Brown had a chance late, but recorded a double-bogey 6 on the par-4 18th hole. Overall, she finished 4-over-par at 292 (72-73-71-76). The second-place finish is the highest of Brown's career and it marks her third top-five finish of the season. In addition, Brown was named to the All-Big Ten first team.

Junior Heather Rose placed in the top 20 for the second time this season, finishing 17th with a 16-over 304 (75-82-69-78).

Rachel Meikle posted a 20-over 308 (73-81-75-79) to tie for 26th, while senior Dayna Burleigh (80-72-82-76) and freshman Holly Niederkohr (76-78-78-78) each carded a 310 to tie for 30th. Playing in her first tournament since Feb. 20-21, junior Mandi McConnell shot a 317 (84-71-81-81) to tie for 45th.

MSU Regional History/Records: This marks the eighth straight year MSU has participated in the NCAA Regionals, dating back to 1999.

Here's a look at MSU's top regional performances:

Top Team Finish: 3rd (2001, 2004)

Top Team Score: 901 (304-298-299), 2001

Top Team Round: 295, 2002

Top Individual Finish: T-4th, Allison Fouch, 2004 (73-74-74--221)

Top Individual Score: 219, Kasey Gant, 2001 (73-73-73--219)

Top Individual Round: 70-Kasey Gant-2000/Allison Fouch, 2002

Mary Fossum Invitational Champions: The Spartans' lone tournament title so far this season came at the event they hosted, the Mary Fossum Invitational (Sept. 17-18). The Spartans set a tournament record with a three-round team total of 889 (299-299-295). The win marked the fifth time Michigan State has won their home event. Overall, the Spartans have placed in the top five in 10 of their tournaments.

Record-Setting Performance: Rachel Meikle set a school record for a 54-hole event at the Northwestern Invitational April 3-4. Meikle shot a three-round total of 6-under-par 210 (70-70-70), just one stroke off the lead, on the par-72, 6,238-yard, Gary Player Signature Course in Rancho Mirage, Calif. Her score broke the 54-hole record previously held by Emily Bastel, who fired a 214 (69-74-71) at the USF Waterlefe Invitational March 18-19, 2002. Meikle's third-place finish was the second top-five finish of her career.

The Spartans finished third in the team competition with a season-best score of 864 (286-286-292). MSU fired matching rounds of 2-under-par 286 in the first and second rounds of the tournament, which are the two best team rounds in school history.

Sara Brown also posted a career-best score. She shot a career-best 2-under-par 70 in the final round, which gave her a three-round total of 215 (74-71-70) - the best 54-hole score of her career and third best in MSU history, just five shots behind Meikle's record.

Updating the Record Book: MSU's current lineup has done an impressive job of updating the school record book.

Sara Brown's current 74.20 scoring average is the best in MSU single-season history, just ahead of Emily Bastel's average of 74.81 in 2001-02. Brown's 75.88 career average ranks second only behind Bastel (75.75).

In addition to Brown, Dayna Burleigh owns a 76.13 average this season, the best of her career and eighth best in school history.

Five players have career averages that rank among MSU's top 10. Brown ranks second (76.02), while Burleigh (77.21) is sixth. Mandi McConnell (77.38), Rachel Meikle (77.41) and Heather Rose (77.45) are seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.

As a team, the Spartans shot the two best rounds in school history (286) at the Northwestern Invitational, while Rachel Meikle set the 54-hole tournament record with a 210 at the same event.

At the Big Ten Championships, Brown tied for second with a 292, which is the third-best score at MSU in a 72-hole tournament.