FINAL RESULTS

ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M. – Southwest Minnesota State University junior Krista Weiszhaar finished tied for ninth place, becoming just the third Mustang golfer in program history to qualify for the NCAA National Championships, and helped lead SMSU to a fourth place at the nine-team NCAA Central Region Championships at Sierra del Rio Golf Club in Elephant Butte, N.M. 

Today's play was delayed mid-round for three-and-a-half hours due to lightning.

SMSU, the championship's No. 7 seed, shot a 330 on Tuesday and finished with a 999 total, 19 strokes from finishing in third place and advancing to the national championships.  The fourth place finish is the program's highest since the 2004 season. 

Krista Weiszhaar carded a 26-over-par 242 and is the first Mustang to qualify for the national championship since Erin Oakland in 2004.  Laura Lundbohm qualified for the national championship in both 2001 and 2003.

Augustana College won the team title with a score of 955, followed by Colorado Mesa (967) and Western New Mexico (980).  All three teams advance to the national championships, along with the top three individuals not from qualifying teams.  Paige Schmidt from Winona State and Emily Kerber from St. Cloud State join Weiszhaar as individual qualifiers.

The NCAA National Championships will be held on May 16-19, at Persimmon Ridge C.C. in Louisville, Ky.

Jennifer Hilts from Colorado Mesa and Faylyn Beyale from Western New Mexico shared the individual region title with score of 16-over 232.

SMSU's lone senior, KC Kane, tied for 12th overall with a 30-over 246.

Weiszhaar, who shot a 5-over 77 on Monday, tying for the low round of the day, came back with a 9-over 81 today with two birdies, seven pars and seven bogeys.  She had a pair of double bogeys on the front nine to finish at 7-over, but rebounded with a 2-over in the final nine holes, including one birdie to finish 9-over.

Kane was just 1-over after eight holes, but double bogeys on nine, 12 and 13, were too much to overcome, as she finished the round with two birdies, eight pars and five bogeys.

Sophomore Rachel Patnoe shot a 10-over 82 on Tuesday and finished tied for 22nd at 37-over.  Patnoe, who also shot an 82 during Sunday's opening round, had one birdie, eight pars and eight bogeys in today's round. 

Freshman Abby Gruber finished in a tie for 33rd at 48-over, after recording a 14-over-par  86 on Tuesday, with nine pars and five bogeys.

Sophomore Marissa Campeau recorded a 19-over 91 today and finished 39th overall at 51-over.

Lundbohm finished 22nd in 2003 and 26th in 2001 at the NCAA Championships, while Oakland finished 29th in 2004.