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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

WSU women’s golf in regional

From staff and news service reports

After a record-setting performance at the Pacific-10 Conference Championships last week, the No. 23-ranked Washington State women’s golf team Monday was rewarded with an invitation bid to the NCAA West Regional.

“We are very excited and looking forward to this opportunity to go play,” said coach Walt Williams. “We are going to have to play really well there (to move onto the NCAA Championships), and that is what we will do. We can’t wait to get there.”

The Cougars are led by junior Anastasia Kostina and senior Kim Welch, a two-time All-American. Kostina was named to the All-Pac-10 first team and Welch was a second-team selection.

Idaho freshman Renee Skidmore, the Big West champion, received one of three individual at-large invitations to the Las Cruces Regional. She has a 74.15 stroke average, 31st in the nation.

University of Washington, eighth nationally in the latest GolfWeek rankings, is seeded third in the East Regional in Gainsville, Fla., also May 5-7, behind Duke and Pepperdine.

The top eight teams and top two individuals from each of three regionals will advance to the NCAA Championships May 17-20 at Sunriver, Ore.

The Cougars are looking to make it back to the NCAA Championships after just missing a repeat trip last season. At the 2004 West Regional, the Cougars tied for eighth, but lost a playoff to Texas.

The Cougars made their first appearance at the national championships in 2003.

At the Pac-10 Championships, the Cougars matched their best performance at the event, tying for seventh. In the process, they demolished the school record for lowest three-round team total at the conference meet by 26 strokes, shooting 898 (+34).