CLE ELUM, Wash. – The San Diego State women's golf team moved into a tie for 10th place at the NCAA Cle Elum Regional after posting a collective 10-over-par 298 on Tuesday during the second round at Suncadia Resort's Tumble Creek Club.
Despite adding two strokes to their combined score from the previous day, the Aztecs climbed one notch in the standings with a 36-hole total of 18 over 594, joining South Carolina. However, SDSU stills remains six shots behind Ohio State (+12) and UCF (+12) for the sixth position, as the top six teams and three low individuals not on those squads advance out of regional competition into the NCAA championship series, slated for May 17-22, in Fayetteville, Ark.
In addition to the aforementioned schools, the Aztecs will have to contend with eighth-place Oregon State (+13) and ninth-place Oregon (+15) during Wednesday's final round on the par-72, 6,306-yard course layout.
After 36 holes, Sara Kjellker (Hollviken, Sweden) finds herself clinging to that third and final individual spot despite shooting a 73 to slip one notch into a tie for ninth at 1-under 143. Starting on the 10th tee, SDSU sophomore overcame at bogey at No. 11 with birdies at the par-4 12th and the par-5 15th, followed by an eagle-3 on No. 18, which briefly vaulted her into second on the leaderboard.
However, birdies became elusive after the turn, as Kjellker encountered four bogeys, including three straight to close the round. Despite the stumble, the two-time all-Mountain West honoree sits five shots behind USC's front-runner Jennifer Chang (-7), while Washington's Rino Sasaki (-6) and UCF's Ana Laura Collado (-6) UCF (-6) are tied for second, followed by Oregon's Kathleen Scavo (-5) and Ohio State's Aneka Seumanutafa (-4).
The Aztecs' low card of the day belonged to Gioia Carpinelli (Boppelsen, Switzerland), who fired a 71 to vault 35 places into a tie for 22nd at 3-over 147. The SDSU sophomore played spot-free golf for the first 13 holes, highlighted by birdies at the par-4 16th and the par-5 18th. In addition, the first-team all-Mountain West honoree recorded a drain after the turn at the par-5 eighth; however, back-to-back bogeys at No. 5 and 6 prevented a steeper ascent.
Conversely, Fernanda Escauriza (Asuncion, Paraguay) dropped eight places into a tie for 29th at 4-over 148 after logging a second-round 76. The Aztec junior also made three birdies, including a successful make on her penultimate hole at No. 8. However, those successes occurred few and far between as seven bogeys, including four on the back nine, proved too much to overcome.
Elsewhere, Kitty Tam (Hong Kong, China) recorded her second straight 78 to end the day in a tie for 73rd at 12-over 156. The SDSU senior was stymied by five bogeys, as well a double bogey on the par-4 sixth, but managed to finish strong with three pars to go with a birdie at the par-3, 195-yard No. 7, which ranks as the fifth-toughest hole of the week.
The Aztec starting five also included Daniela Anastasi (La Jolla, Calif.), who finds herself in a tie for 82nd at 16-over 160 after shooting an 81. The SDSU senior managed to somewhat ease the sting of four bogeys on the front nine with birdies on the 13th and 18th greens. However, three double bogeys after the turn sandbagged her round.
USC (-10) maintained its perched atop team standings, while host Washington (+2) moved into second, followed by San José State (+6), Arkansas (+7) and Northwestern (+10).
The individual scoring averages increased by over a stroke between the first and second rounds from 75.01 to 76.35.
San Diego State wraps up action at the NCAA Cle Elum Regional on Wednesday when it tees off for the final round alongside Iowa State and South Carolina, beginning at 8:30 a.m. PT on hole 10. A live scoring link courtesy of Golfstat will be available on GoAztecs.com.
NCAA Cle Elum Regional
Cle Elum, Wash.
Round Two Results
Suncadia Resort
Tumble Creek Club
Par 72, 6,306 yards
Team Standings (Top 11 of 18 schools)
1. USC...281-285—566 (-10)
2. Washington...285-293—578 (+2)
3. San José State...289-293—582 (+6)
4. Arkansas...287-296—583 (+7)
5. Northwestern...284-302—586 (+10)
T6. UCF... 290-298—588 (+12)
T6. Ohio State...293-295—588 (+12)
8. Oregon State...293-296—589 (+13)
9. Oregon...295-296—591 (+15)
T10. San Diego State...296-298—594 (+18)
T10. South Carolina...298-296—594 (+18)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 96 players + SDSU)
1. Jennifer Chang, USC...70-67—137 (-7)
T2. Rino Sasaki, Washington...68-70—138 (-6)
T2. Ana Laura Collado, UCF...66-72—138 (-6)
3. Kathleen Scavo, Oregon...67-72—139 (-5)
5. Aneka Seumanutafa, Ohio State...70-70—140 (-4)
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T9. Sara Kjellker, SDSU...70-73—143 (-1)
T22. Gioia Carpinelli, SDSU...76-71—147 (+3)
T29. Fernanda Escauriza, SDSU...72-76—148 (+4)
T73. Kitty Tam, SDSU...78-78—156 (+12)
T82. Daniela Anastasi, SDSU...79-81—160 (+16)
W. Golf Tied for 10th After Day Two at NCAA Regionals
