Lady Paladin Golfers Qualify for NCAA Championships

May 7, 2005

GAINESVILLE, Fla. -

Furman's 19^th ranked Lady Paladin golf team will be making its 15^th appearance at the NCAA Championships, thanks to a third place finish in the NCAA East Regional, which completed Saturday at the University of Florida Golf Course.

The Lady Paladins carded a final round 287 - tied with Duke for the low round of the day -  to finish at 871 overall.  Sophomore Theresa Paik paced Furman on the day with an even-par 70 and tied for 10^th at 217, while Jenny Suh claimed the team's top finish after a final round 72 left her tied for second in the individual standings at 210. 

Monique Gesualdi followed up a pair of 76s with a 71 on Saturday and finished 27^th overall with a 223 tally.  Junior Connor Atkinson recorded a 74 and tied for 19^th overall at 221, while freshman Sarah Sturm tied for 60^th after a final round 76 gave her  a 231 total for the competition.

Furman's third place finish is the sixth top five regional showing for the Lady Paladins since 1993, and the team's first top five showing since 1999, when FU went on to a 15^th place finish at the NCAA Championships.

Furman will join fellow East Regional qualifiers Ohio State, Duke, Pepperdine, Virginia, Tulane, Florida, and Washington, as well as eight qualifiers each from the central and west regionals,  in competing for the NCAA Division I National Championship, May 17-20, in Sunriver, Ore., at the Sunriver Resort's Meadows Course.

"I'm pleased that we got off to a good start today," said coach Mic Potter.  "It made the day more relaxing and, hopefully proved to our players, beyond a doubt, that we can play with the absolute best in the country.  All we have to do is play smart and with confidence and add them all up in the end."

Furman's last top 10 showing in the NCAA Championships came in 1995, when the Lady Paladins placed sixth at the Landfall Golf Club in Wilmington, N.C.  So far this season, Furman has won the Lady Paladin Invitational and the Southern Conference Championship, while finishing in the top five at the Cougar Classic, the Lady Gamecock, and the Bryan National Collegiate.

Furman Results

3^rd                    Furman                             293-291-287=871

Furman Individuals

T2nd               Jenny Suh                        69-69-72=210

T10th              Theresa Paik                   71-76-70=217

T19th              Connor Atkinson             75-72-74=221

27^th                 Monique Gesualdi           76-76-71=223

T60th             Sarah Sturm                    79-76-76=231