May 04, 2010

SHWETA GALANDE ADVANCES TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

SPRINGFIELD, MO. - Freshman Shweta Galande of the University of Missouri-St. Louis women’s golf team sank a six-foot putt for par to win a playoff hole at the NCAA East Regional Tuesday afternoon over Southern Indiana’s Jess Dooley to earn a berth to the NCAA Division II Championships to be held May 12-15 in Mesa, Ariz.

“I just went out and played like I had nothing to lose and just wanted to live the experience of being here with my team,” said Galande. “I was nervous at the start of the playoff hole, but knew I just had to give it my best shot. The girl I was going against was a senior and had more experience, but I knew if I just played my game that I would be ok.”

Galande carded a 74 on her final 18 holes after shooting two rounds of 78, and ended in a 10th place tie with Dooley with a 230. The duo was also tied for third among non-team advancing individuals which forced the playoff.

The top three teams and the top three individuals not with an advancing team from each of the four regional sites across the country earn a berth to next weekend’s NCAA Championships.

“After I won that playoff hole, I was numb initially and didn’t know what to think. It was just so exciting and I’m extremely grateful to coach and the rest of my teammates for being so supportive and helping me be the best I can be,” added Galande. “I’m really looking forward to playing at nationals and competing against the best players.”

Making the playoff win even more impressive was the fact that Galande shot even on the par-five hole, a hole she bogeyed and double-bogeyed twice during regular competition.

The championships will be held at Longbow Golf Club and will consist of both team and individual competition conducted concurrently. All participants will compete throughout the entire 72 holes of competition.

“We are all so excited and happy for Shweta,” said seventh-year head coach James Earle. “To be a freshman and play the way she did, especially under that much pressure, is inspiring to this whole team. She definitely played beyond her years.”

The other two individual qualifiers advancing to the National Championships include Drury’s Katrina Choate (78-71-73 – 222) and Northern Kentucky’s Lyndsey Bevill (77-75-76 – 229).

As a team, the Tritons ended regional play on a positive note, firing a school-record 306 to jump three spots in the team standings to a sixth place finish. That performance also bettered the squad’s previous day’s score for the second time. UMSL finished the three-round affair with a 963 (331-326-306).

“I couldn’t be happier with the way we finished today,” said Earle. “Moving up to sixth place in the regional is unbelievable. This is the greatest team ever in program history and to have our two seniors end their careers on such great notes is outstanding. I couldn’t be more proud of their effort.”

Grand Valley State won the team title, scoring a 906 (304-301-301) and advance to the national tournament along with runner-up Indianapolis (309-307-303 - 919) and third place finisher California (Pa.) (308-305-313 - 926).

Junior Clara Vila tied for 13th place, shooting a 77 on her final 18 holes to finish with a 233 (79-77-77).

Senior Amie Koerner ended her two-year stellar career as a Triton on a memorable note, shooting one over par to equal a career-best 73 on the final round. Koerner was one under par with two holes to play, but double-bogeyed the 17th hole. She placed 28th overall, carding a 239 (82-84-73).

Senior Leslie Fischer also played a big role in UMSL’s surge today, finishing with an 82, 11 strokes better than her first round at regionals. Fischer placed 46th with a 262 (93-87-82).

Rounding out the Tritons’ top five was junior Carly Ball, who placed 49th, shooting a three-round total of 282 (92-95-95).

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