May 1, 2012

Complete NCAA selection release

By Ryan A. Johnson
Athletic Media Relations

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Senior women’s golfer Brianna Espinoza was selected to compete in the NCAA West Regional for the second time, the NCAA announced Monday. Espinoza will play May 10-12 at the Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, Colo.

Espinoza impressed the selection committee by posting four top-20 finishes and three top-10 finishes including a win at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic in early April and a third-place finish in the Mountain West conference championship two weeks ago. Her three-round score of 68-68-72=208 (-8) at the Cowgirl Classic set on all-time tournament record and her back-to-back 68’s were a career best. Espinoza was one of the top golfers in the Mountain West, finishing second in scoring average at 74.06.

“This is the icing on the cake for Brianna,” said Head Coach Angie Collier. “She has worked very hard to achieve her goals here at CSU and we are all very proud of her determination and success.”

The regionals are a qualifying tournament for the NCAA Championships held in Franklin, Tenn., on May 23-26. There are 378 golfers from around the country participating in three regionals. If Espinoza can finish in the top-two spots among the individuals not on the eight qualifying teams in her region, she will be one of 126 golfers to advance to the championships.

Espinoza will be playing right here in her own backyard as the University of Colorado will host the event. This marks the first time an NCAA women’s regional has been held in the state of Colorado. The Colorado National Golf Club is a par-72 and is 6,575 yards long.