TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Wilmington Golf to Play in Fifth NCAA Division II National Tournament in Six Years

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Wilmington Golf to Play in Fifth NCAA Division II National Tournament in Six Years

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Copyright 2016; Wilmington University. All rights reserved. 

DENVER, Colo. - - The Wilmington University golf team is making its fifth NCAA Division II National Tournament appearance in the past six years, placing fourth overall at the NCAA Division II Atlantic/East Super Regional Tournament last week.

The NCAA took the top five from each of the four Super Regional Tournaments to compete for the National Championship in Denver, Colorado. The first round of the National Tournament begins on Tuesday, May 17 at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Club, hosted by Metro State University.

This spring season is an NCAA Division II Spring Festival year, meaning Denver, Colorado will be hosting the National Championship events for six sports: men's and women's golf, women's lacrosse, softball, and men's and women's tennis.

The festival also includes opening and closing ceremonies, a student-athlete social lounge where athletes can mingle, and community engagement activities throughout the week. The festival is unique in the NCAA championships mix as the event has an Olympic feel and was structured specifically to enhance the student-athlete experience for those who earned berths to the Division II championships. This is the ninth NCAA Division II sports festival and the first one to be held in the Western region of the country. The Wildcats also participated in the 2012 Spring Festival hosted in Louisville, Kentucky.

Ways to Follow the Wildcats in Denver:

GolfStat Live Scoring
Green Valley Ranch Golf Club
2016 NCAA Division II Spring Festival Schedule of Events
2016 NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championship Program

History at the NCAA National Tournament:

2011 (Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at the Shoals – Muscle Shoals, Ala.): 19th/20 (Ott – T63rd)
2012 (Cardinal Club Golf Course – Simpsonville, Ky. – Spring Festival): 17th/20 (Tighe – T30th)
2013 (Hershey Country Club – Hershey, Pa.): T15th/20 (Tighe – T37th)
2015 (Rock Barn Golf & Spa – Conover, N.C.): 16th/20 (Russo – T33rd)

Qualifying Teams:

Atlantic/East Super Regional Final:
1. St. Thomas Aquinas College – 306-290-301 (897, +33)
2. Southern New Hampshire University – 313-285-305 (903, +39)
3. Concordia College (NY) – 307-301-296 (904, +40)
4. Wilmington University – 310-289-306 (905, +41)
5. Le Moyne College – 310-291-308 (909, +45)

Central/Midwest Super Regional Final:
1. University of Central Missouri – 294-294-312 (900, +48)
2. Southeastern Oklahoma State University – 291-300-310 (901, +49)
3. Bellarmine University – 294-295-319 (908, +56)
4. Tiffin University – 289-303-320 (912, +60)
5. University of Central Oklahoma – 299-300-314 (913, +61)

South/Southeast Super Regional Final:
1. Lynn University – 282-292-289 (863, -1)
2. Saint Leo University – 298-280-288 (866, +2)
3. Florida Southern College – 293-284-291 (868, +4)
4. University of West Florida – 280-295-299 (874, +10)
5. Barry University – 292-297-293 (882, +18)

South Central/West Super Regional Final:
1. Chico State – 292-281-278 (852, E)
2. Oklahoma Christian University – 286-286-286 (858, +6)
3. Dallas Baptist University – 292-294-281 (867, +15)
4. California Baptist University – 297-290-282 (869, +17)
5. BYU-Hawaii – 287-294-291 (872, +20)

Only 12 teams from the latest Bushnell Golfweek Division II Coaches Top-25 Poll remain in contention for the National Championship. The top six nationally ranked teams advanced to the National Tournament with five of the six coming from the South/Southeast Super Regional. Second ranked Chico State won the South Central/West Super Regional.

Latest Bushnell Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll – May 6
1. Lynn
2. Chico State
3. Saint Leo
4. West Florida
5. Florida Southern
6. Barry
7. Nova Southeastern
8. Central Missouri
9. CSU Monterey Bay
10. Lee
11. USC Aiken
12. Oklahoma Christian
13. Missouri-St. Louis
14. Columbus State
15. North Alabama
16. California Baptist
T17. Carson-Newman
T17. Central Oklahoma
19. Georgian Southwestern State
20. St. Thomas Aquinas
21. West Georgia
22. Flagler
23. Colorado-Colorado Springs

24. Dallas Baptist
25. Sonoma State