Photo courtesy of Virginia Athletics Communications
Virginia Women's Golf Advances to NCAA Championships
No. 8 Virginia women's golf finished second at the Ann Arbor Regional on Wednesday and earned a bid to the 2022 NCAA Championships.
Of the 12 teams competing at the University of Michigan Golf Course, only the top four teams in the final standings advance to the NCAA Championships. Virginia (+13) finished in second place, just three strokes behind San Jose State, who won the regional at +10.
NCAA Women's Golf Ann Arbor Regional Final Team Leaderboard
1. San Jose State +10 (862)
2. Virginia +13 (865)
T3. Arkansas +28 (880)
T3. Michigan +28 (880)
5. Virginia Tech +31 (883)
6. Pepperdine +41 (893)
7. North Carolina +43 (895)
8. Ohio State +50 (902)
9. Washington +51 (903)
10. Xavier +53 (905)
11. UCF +57 (909)
12. Oakland +90 (942)
UVA finished 18 strokes ahead of archrival Virginia Tech (+31) and 30 strokes ahead of ACC rival North Carolina (+43).
Virginia entered the final day of the three-day tournament in first place atop the leaderboard thanks to an outstanding second round. After concluding the first round tied for fourth place at 10+, the Cavaliers collectively shot a 3-under 281 in the second round, the third-best score recorded by a women's golf team in the history of the University of Michigan Golf Course.
Jennifer Cleary shot a 4-under 67, a career-best for the sophomore, who finished the round in second place on the individual leaderboard. Cleary is just the fourth UVA golfer ever to post a 67 in an NCAA Regional. First year Amanda Sambach and grad student Beth Lillie were 1-under-par in the second round. The team's incredible second round performance moved the Cavaliers from fourth place into first place at 7+.
In the third and final round on Wednesday, UVA shot +6 as a team and finished second place at +13 overall, well ahead of third-place finishers Arkansas and Michigan at +28. Junior Celeste Valinho led the Cavaliers on the final day with a 1-under 70 that included three birdies.
Amanda Sambach and Jennifer Cleary finished tied for fifth with two other players on the individual leaderboard at two-over 215. Celeste Valinho moved up six spots on the leaderboard in the final round and finished tied for 11th at +4. Beth Lillie was tied for 19th at +9.
Virginia has secured a spot in the 2022 NCAA Women's Golf Championships, held May 20-25 at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. This will be UVA's 12th appearance in the NCAA Championships.
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