May 6, 2002
SAN DIEGO - The 23rd-ranked (Precept/GCAA Coaches Poll) San Diego State men's golf team received its fourth consecutive postseason berth Monday when the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Committee announced the pairings for the three 2002 Division I Men's Golf Championship Regionals.
The Aztecs, ranked in the top 25 of both major polls for the past eight weeks, received the No. 8 seed in the West Regional, which will be hosted by the University of New Mexico, May 16-18, at the Championship Golf Course (par 72; 7,248 yards) in Albuquerque, N.M.
"I'm ecstatic that we are headed back to regionals," said SDSU head coach Dale Walker. "For this to be our fourth straight trip to the postseason says a lot about how far this program has come. The challenge for us now is to take it to the next level and advance to nationals."
The 10 top teams and the six low individuals not on those teams will advance out of each regional to the 2002 NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championship in Columbus, Ohio, May 29-June 1.
Winners of three tournaments this spring, the Aztecs enter the regional with a stellar 145-32 (.819) record on the season, including a 34-29 mark versus the 27-team field that will assemble in Albuquerque.
The regional will mark San Diego State's second visit to the Championship Golf Course this season. Back in September, the Aztecs shot a combined 12-over 876 to take sixth at the William H. Tucker Intercollegiate. Junior Lars Johansson (Karlskrona, Sweden), 2-under through 36 holes, was in medalist contention after two rounds before being forced to withdraw with the flu. Senior Brandon Kearney (San Diego) shot 4-over 220 and was the top SDSU finisher, tying for 20th.
San Diego State has made six postseason appearances since the start of the regional tournament format in 1989. All six have been in the west region, including an 18th-place finish at the 1995 regional hosted by New Mexico at the Championship Golf Course.
The Aztecs' best finish came in 1999 as SDSU shot a combined 11-over 875 at the Omni Tucson National Golf Resort to finish fifth and earn its first NCAA Championship bid since 1984.
More recently, San Diego State opened the 2001 West Regional on fire, shooting 1-over 289 and finishing the first round in fourth place before slipping to 12th in the final team standing and missing the cut for nationals by just four strokes.
This year's squad has been led by 2002 Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Year John Lieber (San Diego). The Grossmont High School product appeared in all 12 tournaments on the year, claiming medalist honors at the John Burns Intercollegiate and carding the league's top stroke average at 72.4.
Sophomore Mark Warman (San Clemente/San Clemente HS), a second-place finisher at this year's conference championship, also ranked the MWC's top five in stroke average at 72.6 and joined Lieber on the league's all-conference team.
Johansson, the Mountain West's 2001 Golfer of the Year and an honorable mention All-American, along with Kearney and senior Scott Henderson (Dove Canyon), will most likely comprise San Diego State's starting five in Albuquerque.
Men's golf is the fifth sport at San Diego State to qualify for NCAA competition during the 2001-02 academic year with baseball and softball still pending.
San Diego State Men's Golf
Previous NCAA Regional Appearances
1990 - 13th West Regional (University Golf Course/Las Cruces, N.M.)
1995 - 18th West Regional (Championship Golf Course/Albuquerque, N.M.)
1997 - 18th West Regional (Carlton Oaks Country Club/Santee, Calif.)
1999 - 5th West Regional^ (Omni Tucson National Golf Resort/Tucson, Ariz.)
2000 - 18th West Regional (Riverbend Golf Course/Fresno, Calif.)
2001 - 12th West Regional (Trysting Trees Golf Course/Corvallis, Ore.)
Note: NCAA regional play did not begin until 1989
^Advanced to NCAA Championship
2002 NCAA Men's Golf West Regional
Dates: May 16-18
Host: University of New Mexico
Course: The Championship Golf Course (Par 72; 7,248 yards
Location: Albuquerque, N.M.
Teams (By Seed)
1. Southern California
2. Texas
3. Minnesota
4. Fresno State
5. Washington
6. New Mexico
7. Pepperdine
8. San Diego State
9. Arizona
10. Nevada
11. Oregon
12. Ohio State
13. UCLA
14. Washington State
15. UC Irvine
16. Pacific
17. UNLV
18. Stanford
19. Arizona State
20. Texas Tech
21. California
22. Brigham Young
23. Colorado State
24. Illinois State
25. Detroit
26. Indiana/Purdue-Indianapolis
27. Central Connecticut State
Individuals
1. Chris Baryla, UTEP
2. Ben Leestma, Air Force
3. David Yarnes, Oregon State
4. Brandon Hillpot, UC Riverside
5. Mike Urbatchka, Wyoming
6. Erik Billinger, Denver