April 25, 2008

Men's Golf in Super Regionals for 7th Straight Year

Lopers Head to Northern California May 5-7

Complete Super Regional Field  

     Kearney, Neb. – For the seventh straight year, the Nebraska-Kearney men's golf team has been selected to play in the 16-team Northwest/West Super Regional Tournament, held this year May 5-7 at the Adobe Creek Golf Course in Petaluma, Calif.

      Sonoma State University will serve as host for the 54-hole tournament.

      A committee of coaches selects the regional field. Seven at-large spots are available while the RMAC Champion (Colo.-Colo. Springs) gets an automatic bid. The North Central Conference (NCC) is the other conference in the Northwest Region.

      In its previous trips to Super Regionals, UNK has finished second (2003), third (2002) and fifth (2004, 2005, 2006) and sixth (2007).

      This is the seventh year the NCAA has gone to the Super Regional format to determine which teams make the NCAA Division II Championships. UNK, Colo.-Colo. Springs, Ft. Lewis, CSU-Pueblo and Minnesota State are the only schools to make the NW Super Regional all seven years.

      A total of 80 schools and 50 individuals from around the nation qualify for the five Super Regional tournaments. The 54-hole tournaments are actually two simultaneous regional tournaments of eight schools and five additional individuals from non-qualifying schools.

      The winning school in each region, plus 10 at-large teams, advance to the NCAA Championships, held this year May 14-17 in Houston, Texas.

Northwest Teams Selected                                                                        Northwest Individuals Selected

1.        Colo.-Colo. Springs (RMAC Champion; automatic bid)                1.     Matt Pridey, Augustana

2.        St. Cloud State                                                                                    2.     Bobby Arranga, Regis

3.        Western New Mexico                                                                          3.     Wally Byrne, South Dakota

4.        Colorado State-Pueblo                                                                       4.     Aaron Hieb, Augustana

5.        Minnesota State-Mankato                                                                   5.     Jimmy Spierings, Regis

6.        Fort Lewis

7.       UNK                                                                                                              

8.        Colorado Christian