FERRIS WOMEN'S GOLF CLAIMS TOP SEEDING AT NCAA EAST REGIONAL

*2006 NCAA Division II Women's Golf Regionals Release* PDF

Elena Robles, the 2006 GLIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Year, will be competing in the NCAA-II East Regional next weekend (May 1-2) at Findlay, Ohio.

The Ferris State University women's golf team has earned the number-one seed in the 2006 NCAA Division II Women's Golf East Regional, which will take place May 1-2 at the Findlay (Ohio) Country Club and is being hosted by the University of Findlay. The announcement was made Monday (April 24) by the NCAA-II Women's Golf Committee.

Ferris, which won last weekend's (April 22-23) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championships, will be making its fifth consecutive regional appearance in the program's history. FSU finished third in its first-ever regional tournament appearance back in the 2001-02 season at Perry Park, Ky. The Bulldogs' lone regional championship title occurred in the 2003-04 campaign (May 4-5) as FSU registered a three-round first-place 963 score on its own Katke Golf Course in Big Rapids, Mich.

Last season (May 2-3), Ferris placed second in the six-team tourney field by carding a 959-stroke total for 54 holes. Senior Elena Robles (Torrance, Calif./Redondo Union), the 2006 GLIAC Women's Golf Athlete of the Year and a three-time All-GLIAC First-Team selection, posted a team-best third-place tying effort at the 2005 East Regional with a three-round 238 score while junior Casey McKinnon (St. Ignace/LaSalle), also a three-time first-team all-conference pick, turned in the team's second-best score at 239 to share fifth-place honors.

Following Ferris in the East Region seeding are Grand Valley State, Drury, Southern Indiana, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and Northern Kentucky. Indianapolis' Kristi Piepenbrink along with Jamie Long and Jackie Studor, both of Northwood, will compete on an individual basis.

The Bulldogs, under seventh-year head coach Brad Bedortha, are listed fifth in the latest (March 29) National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) NCAA-II Top 25 Rankings while Grand Valley State is tied for sixth and Drury ranks fourth. Northern Kentucky was tied for 17th place.

The four regionals (East, North, South and West) consist of both team and individual competition conducted concurrently and all participants will compete throughout the 54 holes of play. The regional will begin with 36 holes the opening day (May 1) and 18 holes (May 2) in final-round action. The top two teams and the top two individuals not affiliated with a team, from each regional, will advance to the championships.

The 2006 NCAA-II Women's Golf Championships will be conducted May 10-13 at The Meadows Golf Course in Allendale, Mich., with Grand Valley State serving as the host. The championships will consist of both team and individual competition. All participants will compete throughout the entire 72 holes of competition. In the team competition, the low four scores for each team will count in each day’s total score. The number of participants allowed at the finals is 48.

In order to be considered for the national championships, teams and individuals must have played a minimum of 15 18-hole rounds including a minimum of four rounds in the spring. The individuals and teams were selected to the championships base upon a complete review if all the following criteria (within the region): head-to-head competition within regions; results versus common opponents; stoke differential; strength of schedule (number of teams in tournament, rounds of competition and overall strength of tournament fields); scoring average (adjusted scoring average and team and individual score versus par); spring results compared to fall results; and eligibility and availability of student-athletes.

For more information about the 2006 NCAA-II Women's Golf Championships, log on to http://www.ncaasports.com/.

East Region Teams
1. Ferris State
2. Grand Valley State
3. Drury
4. Southern Indiana
5. Southern Illinois-Edwardsville
6. Northern Kentucky

East Region Individuals
1. Kristi Piepenbrink, Indianapolis
2. Jamie Long, Northwood
3. Jackie Studor, Northwood