February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
By John Manley
The field is set for the NCAA Division I Golf Championship, and there will be plenty of Irish representation. Toledo advanced in the Central Regional at the Ohio State Scarlet Course in Columbus. The Rockets tied for fifth with Houston at 22-over-par 886. Minnesota stood atop the leaderboard at 865. Tim Rice, a junior from Rosbrien, Co. Limerick, led Toledo with a one-over 217 (70-74-73), good enough for a 10th place tie. One stroke behind that number at 218 (71-73-74) was Portrush, Co. Antrim junior Ricky Elliott.
Dublin freshman Alan Murray tied for 77th at 230 (76-78-76). Minnesota’s James McLean was the medalist at 212.
California and Dan Coyle made it out of the West with a fourth place finish at the Tucson (Ariz.) National Golf Course. Coyle, a senior from Dundalk, shot four-over 220 (76-69-75), tying him for 20th place. Arizona State’s Jeff Quinney was low man at 209. ASU was the top team at 854. California came in at 10-over 874.
The East Regional was held at the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington, with both East Tennessee State and Clemson advancing. Dublin senior Eamonn Brady had ETSU’s second lowest score, a three-over 216 (72-69-75). Brady tied for 18th place. Clemson freshman Michael Hoey, from Belfast, tied for 37th place at 219 (72-72-75). South Carolina’s Kyle Thompson came in at 208 to lead the pack, with golden boy Matt Kuchar a stroke behind. Georgia Tech was the top team at 845, with ETSU finishing fifth at 17-over 869. Clemson, meanwhile, finished in a three-way tie for 10th place at 876. Since 11 teams move on to the nationals, a playoff was necessary. Clemson won the 11th position.
The season ends at Hazeltine National in Minnesota, beginning June 2, with play finishing on June 5.
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Tennis
The tennis season ended for Claire Curran as the sixth-ranked California Golden Bears were defeated by number two Stanford, 5-1, in an NCAA Championship semifinal match in Gainesville, Fla. Curran, a junior from Dublin, was pitted against Jennifer Heiser at fourth singles, and won the first set from the Stanford miss, 6-3. But Heiser pulled out a tiebreaker in the next set, 7-6 (5), to force a third and deciding frame. Heiser prevailed there, too, 6-4.
The Golden Bears began play in Gainesville by dispatching Pac-10 rival Arizona State, 5-4. Curran endured a marathon session at fourth singles with Kerry Giardino, but left the court a winner, 6-7 (12), 7-6 (1), 6-4. Curran and Anita Kurimay handled ASU’s Alison Nash and Celena McCoury in a second doubles match, 8-4. Next to go down was Georgia, 5-4, in the quarterfinals. Curran was moved up to third singles, where she met Marissa Catlin. Catlin was the winner, 6-0, 6-4. But Curran and Anita Kurimay came through at second doubles, defeating Esther Knox and Jane Reid, 8-3.
May 26-June 1, 1999