May 7, 2004

The University of South Carolina women’s golf team moved to 17th place after scoring a 32-over-par 320 Friday in the second round of the 2004 NCAA East Regionals, held at the Mission Inn Golf & Tennis Resort in Howie-in-the-Hills, Florida. USC holds a two-day total of 636 after firing a 316 on day one Thursday. The Gamecocks tee off in Saturday’s final round beginning at 12:30 p.m. along with North Carolina State and North Carolina Wilmington.

Duke leads the field of 21 teams by 16 strokes after shooting a 292 (four-over-par) Friday for a two-day score of 578. UNLV is second at 594. North Carolina’s Meaghan Francella held onto the lead with her second straight under-par-round as the Tar Heel golfer scored a one-under-par 71 to add to three-under-par 69 on Thursday. Francella is ahead of Duke’s Leigh Ann Hardin by three strokes, 140 to 143.

Adrienne Gautreaux continued to be the Gamecock with the lowest scores as the senior team captain shot a 77 (+5) Friday to fall into a tie for 13th place with a 148 (+4). Jenna Pearson, making her first appearance in an NCAA Regional is tied for 59th place with a 159 (+15) as the freshman shot a 76 on Friday, cutting seven strokes off her opening round 83. Senior Marci Robinson is tied for 83rd with a two-day of 164 (+20) as she recorded an 85 in Friday’s second round. Also making her first postseason appearance, Erica Battle is 90th after two rounds as the sophomore carded an 82 Friday for a two-day total of 166 (+22). Senior Kory Thompson is tied for 92nd place after firing an 85 on Friday for a total score of 168 (+24).

The 54-hole, 6,165-yard tournament began Thursday morning at 8:10 a.m. and runs through Saturday’s final round. Twenty-one teams are participating in each of the three regionals with the top eight teams from each advancing to the 2004 NCAA Championships to be held May 18-21st in Auburn, Alabama. Each team is comprised of five golfers with the best four scores counting towards the team’s total score each day.

This is the sixth consecutive NCAA Regional appearance for the Gamecocks and the 10th overall. Under head coach Kristi Coggins, the team has advanced to the Regional eight times in her nine years.

Results from each day’s competition will be posted on the South Carolina website (www.uscsports.com) after the completion of each round. Fans can follow the NCAA Regionals by watching the live hole-by-hole coverage on the Golf Stat website (www.golfstat.com).

Gamecock GolfersT13th   Adrienne Gautreaux   148 (+4)     71     77T59th   Jenna Pearson        159 (+15)     83 76T83rd   Marci Robinson          164  (+20)    79 85T90th   Erica Battle          166 (+22)     84 82T92nd   Kory Thompson      168  (+24)  83 85