LoboTV: Interview with Head Coach Jill Trujillo
May 2, 2011
NCAA West Regional: Thursday-Saturday, Washington National Golf Club, Auburn, Wash.
Live Scoring: GolfStat.com
UNM Thursday Tee Times: 1:30-2:14 p.m. MT
UNM Friday Tee Times: 9-9:44 a.m. MT
The University of New Mexico women’s golf team participates in the 2011 NCAA West Regional this week in Auburn, Wash. Competition is Thursday through Saturday at the Washington National Golf Club (par 72, 6,321 yards), which is southeast of Seattle. The University of Washington is the host. Live scoring will be available at www.GolfStat.com.
The weather forecast for Auburn, Wash., calls for showers all three days with highs in the mid-50s to low-60s.
This marks the 19th consecutive year New Mexico has qualified for NCAA postseason competition, or every year since regional play began in 1993. The Lobos gained an at-large berth last month.
Ironically, UNM will be paired with two Mountain West Conference foes – BYU and San Diego State – during the first two days of competition. The Lobos are the 18th seed in the West Region.
TRYING TO GET TO COLLEGE STATION – The NCAA Women’s Golf Championships is divided into three regional sites: East at Daytona Beach, Fla., Central at Notre Dame and the West in Auburn, Wash. Each regional has 24 teams participating, with the top eight teams in each regional advancing to the finals May 18-21 at the Traditions Golf Club in College Station, Texas.
The Lobos are seeking their 16th trip to the NCAA Championships. UNM finished tied for 16th at the 2010 NCAA Championships in Wilmington, N.C.
THE COMPETITORS – Joining the Lobos at the West Regional are eight teams ranked in the April 27 GolfStat.com top-25 poll: No. 1 Southern California, No. 6 Virginia, No. 7 Arizona, No. 12 Georgia, No. 13 Tennessee, No. 19 Iowa State, No. 20 Pepperdine and No. 22 UC Davis.
The other 15 teams in order of selection and their Golfstat.com ranking are Texas A&M (26), Oklahoma (29), Oregon (34), South Carolina (36), Washington (38), Tulsa (42), Denver (43), San Diego State (48), BYU (51), UT San Antonio (58), Portland State (59), New Mexico State (64), San Jose State (71), Oral Roberts (88) and UTEP (97). The Lobos are ranked 52nd.
ABOUT WASHINGTON NATIONAL – Designed by award-winning architect John Fought and home of the University of Washington’s men’s and women’s golf teams, Washington National Golf Club features a layout that is enhanced by impeccable playing conditions, contrasting transitional areas and sheer grandeur. Washington National has tee options ranging from 5,100 to 7,300 yards.
The Practice Center features a rye grass driving range for 30 players, a practice bunker, a bent grass chipping green, and an 11,000 square foot practice putting green. The course rating is 75.6 with a slope of 141.
LOBO LINEUP – Head coach Manon de Roey and Sammi Stevens.
HEAD COACH Jill Trujillo – A 1990 UNM graduate and golf letterwinner from 1987-90, Jill Trujillo is in her fourth season in charge of the women’s golf program. Trujillo has led New Mexico to five team titles, including three consecutive Mountain West Conference championships from 2008-10. She was named the 2007-08 MWC Coach of the Year.
Trujillo was head coach when UNM advanced to the NCAA Championships in 2007 at Daytona Beach. The Lobos finished 22nd at the Championships in 2007, 19th in 2009 and tied for 16th in 2010.
UNM’S LAST TIME AT WASHINGTON NATIONAL – It was the end of the 2006 season as the 23rd-ranked Lobos made an early run, but came up short in the final round of the NCAA West Regional. Needing to finish in the top-8 to advance to the NCAA Championships, the Lobos fired their best round of the tournament – a 13-over-par 301 – but finished in 14th place with a 54-hole total of 926.
A 30-over-par 318 in the second round left UNM in 15th place, 19 shots out of eighth. The UNM contingent of three freshmen and two sophomores tried to play catch-up. They finished the front nine in a sparkling 2-over and trailed eighth-place Arkansas by four shots. However, the back nine was just too tough to stage a rally.
Purdue, UCLA, Washington, Stanford, Georgia, UNLV, Arizona and Arkansas moved on to the championships at Ohio State. The individual winner was Washington’s Paige McKenzie, who won going away at 8-under 208. McKenzie was the only golfer to finish under par.
The Lobos were tightly bunched in the individual race. Freshman Morgan Grantham came into the tournament with the team’s highest scoring average at 79.29, but she tied a career-best 74 in the final round to finish in a tie for 40th at 15-over 231.
Sophomore Alexandra Phelps shot 77 and tied for 53rd at 233. Freshmen Mikaela Backstedt and Py Bengtsson were in a group at 234, tying for 57th.
Sophomore Giselle Claux, who shot 81 in each of the first two rounds, showed her mettle by firing a 73, the Lobos’ low score of the day. Claux tied for 59th at 235.