The Knights combined for a team score of 874 (10-over par) and thrived under pressure, shooting 8-under-par on the final nine holes of play May 8 to secure their place among the top six teams in the regional to advance to the finals.

American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year Elizabeth Moon, junior all-conference honoree Maria Balcazar, sophomores Ana Laura Collado and Chinatsu Kobayashi and freshman Alyssa Lamoureux represented 麻豆原创 at the tournament.

Collado tied for the second-best individual score over the three-day regional competition (206, 10-under par) among a field of 96 golfers.聽Balcazar birdied the 18th聽hole on the final day to boost the team above the cut.

“The grit our team showed on that back 9 today was unbelievable. We kept telling them all week to believe, just believe,” 麻豆原创 head coach Emily Marron says. “Ana Laura really was amazing and so steady for us. Her 66 in the first round put us in great position. It was a total team effort in the end, and I couldn’t be more proud of our team.”

“We kept telling them all week to believe, just believe.” 鈥� 麻豆原创 head coach Emily Marron

麻豆原创 was tabbed as a 13-seed in its at-large bid to the postseason after finishing second at the American Athletic Conference Championship. This year marks the program鈥檚 14^th聽postseason appearance and the fifth during Marron鈥檚 seven-year tenure.

Rounding out the top six at the聽Cle Elum Regional were Southern Cal (844, 20-under); Washington (859, 5-under); Northwestern (864, par); Arkansas (869, 5-over); and San Jose State (872, 8-over). 麻豆原创 finished ahead of Power 5 teams such as Ohio State, Oregon, South Carolina and Miami.

The women’s golf team has advanced to the championship final once before in program history in the 1996 season.

While a handful of Knights have won a national championship, none of the team titles have been achieved in an NCAA sanctioned championship competition.

The 2019 NCAA Women鈥檚 Golf National Championship will be at The Blessings Golf Club in Fayetteville, Arkansas, May 17-22 . The final three days of the championships will be televised live by the Golf Channel.

鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of our team this year and the conference awards are a product of their efforts,鈥� 麻豆原创 head coach Emily Marron said. 鈥淎shley Holder has been very consistent all year and is very deserving of these honors. It鈥檚 very rare to have a freshman talented enough to sweep both awards and I鈥檓 extremely proud of Ashley鈥檚 play this season.鈥�

Holder played in all 10 events this season and led the Knights with five top-ten finishes and a 72.7 scoring average. She shot par or better nine times this season and carded a season low-round of 67. Her best finish came at the LSU Tiger Golf Classic, where she tied for first place.

鈥淚 am greatly honored to receive these awards,鈥� Holder said. 鈥淭his has been an unforgettable year and I am thankful for the support of my teammates and coaches. I could not be more proud of the hard work and dedication we have all put in.鈥�

Holder, an Orlando native, first caught fire in October when she made a hole-in-one at the Par-3 13th hole at Sahlaee Country Club, during the Edean Ihlanfeldt Invitational in Seattle, Wash. Two weeks later she would finish second overall at the Las Vegas Collegiate showdown and be named the American Athletic Conference Golfer of the Month.

Her success continued into the second half of the season when she shot her three-day best 213 (-3) helping the Knights win the 麻豆原创 Challenge. She went on to lead 麻豆原创 at the conference championship finishing third overall.

麻豆原创鈥檚 honors continued with senior Katilyn Price, junior Fanny Cnops, and freshman Kristine Odaiyar being named to the All-Conference team.

Price was solid all season playing in nine of the ten events for Knights. She maintained a 74.9 scoring average throughout the season and finished fifth overall at the Florida Shootout, helping the Knights to team victory.

Cnops took individual medalist honors at the 麻豆原创 Challenge and has been the Knights top finisher five times this season. She was awarded conference golfer of the week honors in late February and was granted an exemption to play in the 2014 IOA golf Classic in March where she finished tied for 44th in a field of 142 professionals.

Odaiyar鈥檚 best showing this season came at the Central District Invitational where she finished tied for third with teammate Cnops. She competed in seven events for the Knights this season posting a single-round low of 68 and a 74.4 scoring average.

The No. 17 Knights have turned in top-three finishes at eight of their ten events this season including back-to-back wins at the Florida Shootout and the 麻豆原创 Challenge. 麻豆原创 will compete as the No. 6 seed in the NCAA Eastern Regional May 8-10 in Tallahassee, Fla.

Although the Knights held the lead through the first two rounds at the Hammock Beach Resort’s Ocean Course, Louisville’s Emily Haas caught fire Tuesday, matching individual medalist Jenny Haglund’s (SMU) final round best of 71 (-1) and leading the Cardinals to the victory. The Knights and Louisville traded the lead several times throughout the third and final round. But it was a par on the final hole by Haas that clinched the win for the Cardinals.

“Louisville was the better team [today]. We really haven’t played well since LSU (March 21-22) and we have a lot of work to do before we go to the NCAA Championship,” 麻豆原创 head coach Emily Marron said. “We have a good team, but we know we will have to play a lot better than this to have a chance at NCAAs.”

麻豆原创 freshman Ashley Holder led the Knights from wire to wire, finishing in third place overall. Teammate Kristine Odaiyar, also a freshman, had the Knights’ next best finish, tying for seventh. Coach Marron said she was proud of the underclassman’s effort and how they pulled through for the team.

The Knights have now finished second or better in the last seven tournaments and have had a top-three individual finish in six of those events.

The 2014 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championship selections will be announced live via the Monday, April 28, during Golf Central which will air that evening from 6 to 7 p.m.

Team Results

1. Louisville 314-302-299= 915 (+51)
2. 麻豆原创 307-302-304= 916 (+52)
3. SMU 315-306-307= 928 (+64)

麻豆原创 Golfers

The state has cut $144 million from 麻豆原创鈥檚 budget during the past five years, including $52 million this year. Tuition increases have made up for only a portion of those cuts.

鈥淣one of us wants to impose additional burdens on our students, but we want to provide them with the best education possible,鈥� said Olga Calvet, vice chair of the Board of Trustees. 鈥淲e cannot continue to pass on these costs to the students.鈥�

Even with the increases, 麻豆原创鈥檚 tuition costs would remain among the lowest in the nation. 麻豆原创 also has been named among the nation鈥檚 universities offering the best-value educations by Kiplinger and The Princeton Review, and 49 percent of 麻豆原创 students graduating last year left with no debt from their time at 麻豆原创 compared to 33 percent nationally.

Tuition and fees combined for an undergraduate in-state student taking 30 credit hours of courses would increase from $5,584 to $6,247 if the Florida Board of Governors votes next month to approve the amounts set by the Board of Trustees.

Tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student would increase 4 percent, bringing the total tuition and fees to $8,816 for a student taking 24 credit hours.

Trustees and administrators said nobody wants to raise tuition, but they said the impact on students would be severe if the university could not increase tuition and was forced to cut course sections in response to the state cuts. The 2012-13 tuition increase would raise about $20 million, which would support additional class sections, new faculty hires and need-based financial aid.

麻豆原创 already has made significant strides in operating as efficiently as possible. Administrative expenses total 39 percent less per student compared with the State University System average, and the university is saving $4.5 million annually by making campus buildings more energy efficient. However, trustees and administrators said they will continue to look for innovative ways to save money.

Smoke-Free Campus

Trustees also approved a policy to establish smoke-free campuses starting Aug. 20, the first day of classes in the fall. More than 600 other colleges and universities around the country already have smoke-free policies in place.

The new policy covers employees, students, visitors, vendors and others while on all 麻豆原创-owned or leased property, including in university vehicles. Out of concern for the health and safety of the 麻豆原创 community, President John C. Hitt laid the groundwork for the campaign last fall.

Groups such as the Faculty Senate, Student Government Association, USPS Staff Council and Greek Council have supported the initiative, which is designed to encourage a wholesome lifestyle and a change in behavior so that everyone鈥檚 right to clean air is respected. It is not designed as a punishment for those who smoke, as there are no fines or other penalties.

To help those who want to stop smoking, 麻豆原创 is offering cessation services and resources, including individual and group classes, support groups, telephone and online counseling, self-help materials and medications.

For details, visit www.ucf.edu/smokefree.

Honoring Valencia鈥檚 President

Trustees approved awarding an honorary doctorate to Valencia College President Sanford C. Shugart. Shugart has served as Valencia鈥檚 president since 2000, and Valencia was recognized nationally last year with the Aspen Award for Community College Excellence.

鈥淧resident Shugart has been a long and valued partner of 麻豆原创,鈥� President Hitt said. 鈥淗is support and engagement with DirectConnect to 麻豆原创 and the students served through that program are testimony to his commitment to provide access to baccalaureate education and to promote student success.鈥�

Notebook

Trustees voted to grant tenure to more than 30 faculty members from eight colleges and the NanoScience Technology Center.

Navy Capt. William H. 鈥淩oto鈥� Rooter IV gave a presentation about the impact of Team Orlando, a community of organizations including 麻豆原创, that work together to improve human performance through simulation and provide high-quality training for military personnel. Central Florida is nationally recognized as a hub for modeling and simulation.

New Student Government Association President Cortez Whatley participated in his first Board of Trustees meeting. Whatley also has been elected chair of the Florida Student Association, and he will serve on the Florida Board of Governors.

Trustee Ida Cook was elected to her fourth one-year term as president of the Faculty Senate, and she will continue to serve on the Board of Trustees during 2012-13.

Manoj Chopra, former chair of the Faculty Senate and a former 麻豆原创 trustee, has been elected chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates of Florida. In this capacity, he also will serve on the Florida Board of Governors.

President Hitt congratulated the six winners of the Pegasus Professor Award, 麻豆原创鈥檚 most prestigious faculty honor. They are Sudipta Seal and Donald Malocha of the College of Engineering and Computer Science; Stella Sung and Talat Rahman from the College of Sciences; Stella Sung from the College of Arts and Humanities; and Martin Richardson from the College of Optics and Photonics.

Trustees applauded students from the College of Engineering and Computer Science, who won the top prize of $100,000 in a competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy. Team members Brandon Lojewski, Johan Rodriguez, Cheng Li and Thomas Yang will compete in the National Clean Energy Business Plan Finals in Washington, D.C., in June.

Trustees recognized four Burnett Honors College spring graduates who have received prestigious national scholarships. The graduates are Jennifer Bencivenga, who was chosen for a Fulbright English teaching assistantship in Germany; Ashley Ewh, who won a National Science Foundation graduate fellowship and a National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship; Christopher Frye, who earned the Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship; and Gabriel Willman, who received the David L. Boren Scholarship for Undergraduate Studies to study in Israel.

President Hitt recognized several 麻豆原创 teams for their success this spring. The women鈥檚 track team won the Conference USA championship; the men鈥檚 golf team placed fifth in the NCAA鈥檚 Stanford Regional and will compete next week in the national championships; and the softball and women鈥檚 golf teams also earned spots in their respective NCAA tournaments. The baseball team finished second in Conference USA and was ranked as high as No. 7 this season.

This is the second time the No. 38 Knights have finished runner-up at the C-USA Championship, matching their effort from the 2009 season. No. 33 Tulsa won the team title with a 20-over performance on the week.

Freshman Katie Mitchell was named to the all-tournament team after finishing in a tie for third overall, the highest placing for a 麻豆原创 golfer at the C-USA Championship. Teaming with fellow rookie Monifa Sealy (6th), they became the highest duo to finish at the league tournament.

“They fought until the bitter end and I am so happy for them,” head coach Courtney Trimble said of her squad. “Tulsa flat beat us. We tried our hardest and I am happy with second place. This is a young team and they learned a lot. We wanted to win, but if we couldn’t, we certainly wanted second.”

“The future is bright,” Trimble added. “It was a total team effort this week. They are a young team, but they aren’t playing like it.”

Mitchell started the day in a tie for fourth, but moved up one spot after finishing the final round 2-over (74) including birdies on the second and sixth holes. Sealy stood firm in sixth place with her second-straight 74 to close out the championship.

Junior Carolin Pinegger matched her 12th-place finish from a year ago at the C-USA Championship after a final round 77 (+5). She ended the three-day tournament with six birdies.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Price also matched her 2011 placing at 18th after a final round 77 (+5). She finished the tournament by moving up two spots on the final day of play. Rookie Heather Proctor wrapped up her first championship appearance with a 73 (+1) in the final round by carding three birdies on the 6,246-yard course.

The No. 38 Knights will now wait and see where they will end up in their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2009.

“We are excited about heading to the regional. We will find out where we are going on Sunday,” Trimble said. “The goal is to get through the regional and get to the national championship.”

Individual Scores

T3 Katie Mitchell 75-72-74=221 (+5)

6 Monifa Sealy 75-74-74=223 (+7)

T12 Carolin Pinegger 78-71-77=226 (+10)

T18 Kaitlyn Price 78-76-77=231 (+15)

27 Heather Proctor 80-80-73=233 (+17)

Team Scores

1 Tulsa 299-291-294=884 (+20)

2 麻豆原创 306-293-298=897 (+33)

3 Tulane 301-296-304=901 (+37)

T4 Memphis 310-316-303-=929 (+65)

T4 SMU 313-311-305=929 (+65)

麻豆原创 has now clinched two team titles in the 2011-12 season, and three overall under head coach Courtney Trimble.

“It was really a team effort, and I told them this morning to grind it out and that every shot counts,” Trimble said after the inaugural event that featured 15 teams. “They fought hard until the last put dropped and it usually comes down to the last shot in collegiate golf.”

The Knights are in search of their first NCAA Regional appearance since 2008-09 and Trimble is happy about the team’s bounce back from Gainesville and momentum heading into the Conference USA Tournament on April 23-25.

“This helps our postseason chances significantly and gives us a taste of victory. It also gives us something to work hard for going into the conference championship. I am excited,” Trimble added.

Katie Mitchell and Carolin Pinegger emerged as 麻豆原创’s top finishers by tying for third place with a 2-over 218. Mitchell opened play with a birdie on the first hole and finished out strong by making par on the final 11 holes while Pinegger made par on 16-of-18 holes.

Heather Proctor and Kaitlyn Price shined with 麻豆原创’s lowest rounds of the day as the pair each penciled in three birdies on their scorecards en route to even-par 72s. Proctor finished tied for 11th with a 6-over 222, and Price came in right behind her tied for 15th with a 7-over 223.

Although her three-day total was not among 麻豆原创’s top four finishers, Monifa Sealy shot even on the front nine and birdied twice on the back nine for the Knights’ second-lowest score of the day with a 73. She shaved strokes off each of her rounds to finish with an overall score of 230 (14-over).

Valentina Fontaine emerged as the top individual finisher of the tournament with a final-round 76 (+4). She bested the next closest solo player by seven strokes.

Texas Tech’s Deborah DeVilla emerged as the overall top finisher with a 3-under 213.

The Knights will enjoy a break from competition before heading to Gulf Shores, Ala., for the Conference USA Tournament on April 23-25.

Team Scores

1. 麻豆原创 293-292-292=877 (+13)
2. Texas Tech 287-294-297=878 (+14)
3. Wisconsin 289-302-290=881 (+17)
4. Purdue305-295-288=888 (+24)
5. Chattanooga 298-298-299=895 (+31)
6. Michigan 298-299-298=895 (+31)

Individual Scores

T3 Carolin Pinegger 73-69-76=218 (+2)

T3 Katie Mitchell 70-73-75=218 (+2)

T11 Heather Proctor 77-73-72=222 (+6)

T15 Kaitlyn Price 73-78-72=223 (+7)

T41 Monifa Sealy 80-77-73=230 (+14)

*T21 Valentina Fontaine 74-75-76=225 (+9)

*68 Robyn Doig 85-78-76=239 (+23)

*73 Jordyn Hage 81-80-80=241 (+25)

麻豆原创’s medal winners represent ten sports programs. The women’s rowing team led the way with six student-athletes, followed closely by the women’s soccer and softball teams with five each.

At least 32 Knights have earned medals during three of the last four years.

“Achieving a GPA of 3.75 or higher is a tremendous accomplishment for our student-athletes, who work hard in their classes while balancing the rigorous demands of their sports,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Todd Stansbury. “The fact that so many of our student-athletes have earned academic recognitions from Conference USA is a testament to their determination and the support of our dedicated faculty members, coaches and academic advisors.”

C-USA announced its academic honor roll (3.0 GPA or better) Tuesday, and 221 Knights were on the list. That total ranked second among all C-USA schools and first among the league’s public institutions.

麻豆原创’s student-athletes have collectively achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 for each of the last eight semesters.

In October, 麻豆原创 posted a program-best 83 percent Graduation Success Rate, which tied with the University of Florida for the top rating among Florida’s public universities.

麻豆原创’s academic medal winners are listed below in alphabetical order by sport:

Football: Jacob Bundy (Business Economics) and聽聽(Social Science Education master’s program)

Men’s Golf: 听(叠耻蝉颈苍别蝉蝉-辫别苍诲颈苍驳)

Women’s Rowing: Jesse Baldwin (Communication Science and Disorders), (Finance), (Elementary Education with a Coaching minor), Kelsey McCreary (Cinema Studies), Beatriz Merino (Pre-Clinical Allied Health with a Spanish minor) and聽聽(Sport and Exercise Science/Psychology)

Men’s Soccer: Augusto Braccialli (Civil Engineering), (Psychology), (Molecular and Microbiology) and 听(笔蝉测肠丑辞濒辞驳测)

Women’s Soccer: (Biomedical Sciences), (Public Administration/Nonprofit Management), (Psychology), (Biology) and聽聽(Communication Sciences and Disorders)

Softball: (Early Childhood Education), (Hospitality Management), (Elementary Education), (叠颈辞濒辞驳测)听补苍诲 聽(Mathematics Education)

Men’s Tennis: (Finance-pending) and 聽(Interdisciplinary Studies with a Math minor)

Women’s Tennis: 聽(Communication Sciences and Disorders)

Track and Field: (Undeclared), (Athletic Training), (Elementary Education)聽and 听(笔丑颈濒辞蝉辞辫丑测)

Volleyball: (Marketing) and聽 (Molecular Biology and Microbology)

This is the second tournament victory under head coach Courtney Trimble whose squad knocked off five ranked opponents in No. 19 Ohio State, No. 33 Illinois, No. 42 Augusta State, No. 43 Iowa State and No. 45 Michigan.

“I am extremely pleased with the team’s performance out there today on such a tricky and difficult course,” Trimble said. “They did an awesome job handling their emotions out there today. Something just clicked after that first 18 yesterday, and it was just awesome watching them do so well on a physically exhausting course.”

麻豆原创 is no stranger to the top of the leaderboard as it led going into the final round of last week’s Bettie Lou Evans Invitational in Kentucky. After coming up just short on the Big Blue Course, the Knights bounced back in grand fashion.

“After losing the tournament in Kentucky last week, I think they were pretty hungry,” Trimble added. “Today, we knew if we went out and played like we did in the second round yesterday that we would have a chance to win the tournament. They just played incredibly well.”

Mitchell’s sensational rookie campaign continued on the Donald Ross Golf Course at French Lick as she claimed second place after shooting an even-par 71 to close out the tournament at +4 (217). After claiming runner-up in the ultra-competitive field, Mitchell has now finished in the top 20 in each of the team’s first three competitions.

“Katie handled being in third place going into today like she had been there before. They all did an incredible job, and it was really fun to watch,” Trimble said.

Fellow freshman Sealy continued her assault on the challenging 6,037-yard course as she shot a one-over 72 to claim a tie for sixth place. This is the first top-10 finish for Sealy in just her third collegiate tournament.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Price (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) turned in her best round of golf when it mattered most with an even-par 71 to move her into a tie for 11th with teammate Carolin Pinegger (Marquartstein, Germany). Both Knights concluded the tournament at +12 225. Freshman Heather Proctor (Ocala, Fla.) rounded the team in a tie for 54 th.

麻豆原创 will look to carry the momentum from Tuesday’s victory into the final tournament of the fall when it competes in the Alamo Invitational in San Antonio, Texas, Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.

Team Scores

1. 麻豆原创 308-290-289=887 (+35)
2. Ohio State 293-290-309=892 (+40)
3. Michigan 298-293-302=893 (+41)
4. Iowa State 299-296-301=896(+44)
5. Augusta State 297-303-302=902(+50)

Individual Scores

Pinegger claimed the day’s individual title with her 143 (-1), completing the event two strokes ahead of Fontaine’s 145 (+1).

“I am very excited to see how well we played today,” 麻豆原创 head coach Courtney Trimble said. “We had been working very hard all winter after a disappointing fall focusing on starting the spring off right with this match today. We came out and played some great golf and, if we keep the hard work at practice up, things hopefully will look good for the 麻豆原创 Challenge.”

The fifth annual 麻豆原创 Challenge, also to be played at RedTail, was recently rated as one of the nation’s 15 best spring tournaments by Golf Digest. The event’s 54 holes will be contested from Feb. 13-15 at the par-72, 6,301-yard Lake County course.

Today the Knights and Golden Flashes stood tied at 301 at the end of the morning’s 18 holes with the Knights led by Pinegger’s 74 (+2) and a 75 (+3) by freshman Isabelle Bachtiar (Karlstad, Sweden), numbers topped amongst the team-scored competitors by only Kent State’s Martina Gravier who shot a 73 (+1).

麻豆原创 proved to be seven strokes better than Kent State after lunch to claim the overall victory. Fontaine’s 69 tied her career low while Pinegger’s 69 was her lowest total of the 2010-11 season, lifting her to her first career event title.

Freshman Kaitlyn Price (Jacksonville Beach, Fla.) was third amongst the Knights, carding a 77 and a 74 for a 151 (+9). Bachtair was 麻豆原创’s fourth finisher with a 153 (+11) while senior Katie Detlefsen took home a 155 (+13). In addition, sophomores Jordyn Hage (Winter Park, Fla.) and Sunny Harris (Pensacola, Fla.) competed as individuals, shooting 152 and 166, respectively.

The Knights will carry the momentum of this win into their next competition in two weeks when a strong field of 16 schools join the Knights at RedTail for the 麻豆原创 Challenge, Feb. 13-15.

麻豆原创 INDIVIDUAL SCORES

1. Valentina Fontaine 74-69=143 (-1)

2. Carolin Pinegger 76-69=145 (+1)

7. Kaitlyn Price 77-74=151 (+7)

T10. Isabelle Bachtiar 75-78=153 (+9)

12. Katie Detlefsen 76-79=155 (+13)

IND. Jordyn Hage 78-74=152 (+8)

IND. Sunny Harris 84-82=166 (+22)

The honor adds to an impressive postseason haul by the Minnesotan. Last month she received the LPGA’s Dinah Shore Award, a prestigious national honor given to the collegiate golfer who best combines success on the course, in the classroom and in the community.

Detlefsen, a junior who was also an All-Conference USA selection on the course this past year, graduated in two years with a 4.0 GPA and she has maintained that perfect mark through her first year of graduate school.聽 Detlefsen’s bachelor’s degree was in advertising/public relations while she is presently working on a master’s in mass communications. She was named to the Conference USA All-Academic Team for the second consecutive year in April.

On the course, Detlefsen had a tremendous improvement in 2009-10 where er 77.28 stroke average was well ahead of her 79.17 from 2008-09 and 80.65 from 2007-08. For her efforts, Detlefsen was rewarded with a spot on the Conference USA third team, one of three Knights to be so honored. Detlefsen had the first five par-or-better rounds of her career this past year and two top 10 finishes after having just one during her first two years combined. Detlefsen’s 218 at the FIU/Pat Bradley Invitational in October tied for the fourth-best par-72 54-hole tournament score in school history. She also had a top 20 finish in February’s Hurricane Invitational as the Knights claimed their first team title since 2002. She was 麻豆原创’s top finisher at both the 麻豆原创 Challenge and the Tiger/Wave Classic.

Detlefsen joins football wide receiver Rocky Ross as 麻豆原创’s two ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American recipients for 2009-10. She is the first 麻豆原创 student-athlete to ever earn an At Large Academic All-American award from CoSIDA. It is the 18th time in 麻豆原创’s athletic history that it has seen one of its student-athletes recognized as one of the country’s top student-athletes in this manner.