Event:NCAA Division I West Region Championships
Host: Sacramento State
Where:Lincoln Hills Golf Club – Lincoln,Calif.
When:Today,Friday and Saturday, all day
Who to watch:It’s certainly a nice plus to have thePlayer of the Year and Freshman of the Year leading your starting roster.
UC Davis has it in Chelsea Stelzmiller.
In her maiden season with the Aggies, the Union Mine High School graduate has averaged 74.0 strokes per round this year with seven top 10 finishes.
Did you know? In its first year as an official member of Division I women’s golf, UC Davis will enter the NCAAWest Region Championships after receiving an at large bid to the 21-team pool. As if that weren’t enough, the Aggies will do so while carrying a national ranking of 52 by Golfweek.
Preview: Entering what could be the final tournament of her coaching caree, Kathy DeYoung is happy with her team’s success this year.
“We‘re just very excited to be in our third year and to be competing inthe NCAA championship,“ DeYoungsaid.“The bid will really help with our recognition in the Division I women‘s golf community.“
The Championships are hosted by Sacramento State and willnot onlyfeature UC Davis,but alsoeight top25teams in the country in No.1Southern California,No.5Arizona,No.7Oklahoma State,No.9Arkansas,No.13Arizona,No.17Michigan State,No.22California and No.25Stanford.
The topeight teams in the Regional will advance to the National Championships on May20-23at theUniversity ofNew Mexico.Duke from the Atlantic Coast Conference has won the national tournament three years running.
Besides the stud Stelzmiller,junior Bryana Gregory is a crafty veteran who hasaveraged76.0strokes per round this season.
Freshmen Alice Kim and Katie Sisler show promise teeing up in their young careers.Kim has averaged75.9strokes per round while Sisler has a77.1stroke average for the year.Both Kim and Sisler placed in the top10in the Big West Conference Championships on Apr.22.
Last but certainly not least is senior Sydney Roughton,who enters her second season with the Aggies after playing her first two withSan Francisco.Serving as the team’s lone senior,thebiological sciencesmajor has averaged77.4strokes per round.
At the NCAA Western Regional Preview from Mar.31to Apr.1,UC Davis tied UNLV for fourth place in the21-team field.Playing as an individual,Kimtied for second with a217.Stelzmiller led the way in team play with a221.
With an876team score,Denver took first place at the tournament,which was also held at the Lincoln Hills Country Club
