Kupcho places 15th in NCAA Regionals and will make her fourth trip to NCAA nationals; CU’s Hodgkins just misses advancing
By Gary Baines – 05/08/2019
Westminster resident Jennifer Kupcho fell short of a three-peat in the women’s NCAA Regionals on Wednesday, but she will still make her fourth consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championship Finals.
Kupcho will advance along with her teammates as Wake Forest tied for second out of an 18-school field at the Norman, Okla., regional site. The top six team finishers at each regional earned spots in the national championship, set for May 17-22 in Fayetteville, Ark.
Kupcho (pictured in a photo by Ken Assmus) has had an extremely impressive run in the NCAA nationals over the years, finishing sixth, second and first individually. And she won NCAA Regional titles in 2017 and ’18.
On Wednesday, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion had a rough stretch run, playing her final six holes in 4 over par to tie for 15th place. The 4-over 76 she shot left her with a even-under-par 216 total.
Elsewhere in women’s NCAA Regional action:
— University of Colorado junior Kirsty Hodgkins finished 15th in the East Lansing, Mich., Regional, but fell just short of landing a spot in the NCAA national tournament.
The top six teams and top three individuals not on those teams advance to the NCAA Finals, and Hodgkins tied for fourth in the latter category, one stroke out of what would have been a playoff.
After being in sixth place entering the final round, Hodgkins bogeyed her final hole to shoot a 4-over-par 76, which left her at 3-over 219 overall. She ended up with two birdies and six bogeys on the day.
Patty Tavatanakit of UCLA claimed the individual title at 208.
— The University of Denver, making its 18th consecutive appearance at NCAA Regionals, saw its season end with a 15th-place finish Wednesday in the 18-team Opelika, Ala., tournament.
With a 45-over-par 909 total, the Pioneers ended up 49 strokes behind champion Vanderbilt, and 33 shots behind the sixth and final team that qualified for NCAA nationals.
Freshman Trussy Li was DU’s top finisher, placing 41st at 7-over-par 223. Junior Mary Weinstein of Highlands Ranch was next best at 226, good for 57th place.
— Oregon State, coached by Colorado native and former DU standout Dawn Shockley, narrowly missed earning a national team berth from the Cle Elum, Wash, Regional. The Beavers finished at 877, three strokes back of the sixth and final team qualifier at the site.
— In the NCAA Division II West Regional in Amarillo, Texas, Colorado State-Pueblo finished 12th in the 12-team competition.
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference champions checked in at 100-over-par 952 for three rounds. Their top individual was Jolene Kam, who placed 29th at 18-over-par 231.
Meanwhile, Julia Baroth of Colorado-Colorado Springs, competing only as an individual, finished 39th at 235.
WOMEN’S NCAA DIVISION I REGIONALS
Auburn, Ala. Regional May 6-8, 2019
15. (out of 18 teams) Denver 304-304-301–909
41. Trussy Li 74-75-74–223
57. Mary Weinstein 75-76-75–226
67. Sophie Newlove 81-76-72–229
79. Alyson Bean 76-77-80–233
92. Camille Enright 79-81-81–241
Norman, Okla. Regional May 6-8, 2019
15. Westminster resident Jennifer Kupcho, Wake Forest 71-69-76–216
East Lansing, Mich. Regional May 6-8, 2019
15. Kirsty Hodgkins, Colorado 72-71-76–219
56. Former Coloradan Elizabeth Wang, Harvard 75-77-77–229
WOMEN’S NCAA DIVISION II WEST REGIONAL
May 6-8, 2019 (final) in Amarillo, Texas
12. (out of 12 teams) CSU-Pueblo 326-311-315–952
29. Jolene Kam 81-73-77–231
41. Orakorn Thirayatorn 79-80-77–236
47. Courtney Ewing 80-76-81–237
61. Rachanok Rahulpan 86-82-80–248
66. Amy Sutheran 87-88-86–261
Also
39. Julia Baroth, Colorado-Colorado Springs 79-77-79–235