AU ROUNDUP: Women’s golf moves to fourth at NCAA Regional

Special to the News

Published: May 10, 2008

ATHENS, Ga. — The No. 10 Auburn women’s golf team jumped two spots to fourth at the NCAA East Regional at the par 72, 6,335-yard University of Georgia Golf Course. 

The Tigers shot 14-over 302 and are four strokes away from third-place South Carolina. 

Auburn freshman led the away on Friday as both Cydney Clanton and Sarah Thead each shot 3-over 75. Despite leading the team today, Clanton dropped two places and is tied for seventh, while Thead leaped 19 positions and is tied for 33rd.

Clanton finished the front nine at 1-over after a birdie on three and back-to-back bogeys on five and six. She didn’t fare as well on the back stretch as she had three consecutive bogeys on 10 thru 13 before pulling back to 3-over with a birdie on 13. She went even par on the last five holes.

Thead had three bogeys on the front nine, but went even on 10 thru 14. A birdie on 15 put her at 2-over, but she finished with a bogey on 18. 

Women’s tennis tops Ohio State at NCAA Tourney
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The No. 29 Auburn women’s tennis team (17-9) defeated the No. 35 Ohio State Buckeyes (19-8) in the first round of NCAA Tournament on Friday.

“Today was good day for our team,” said Head Coach Tim Gray. “Overall, I am proud of how hard our team fought today.”

Junior Alex Haney won Auburn’s first singles point on court two. She defeated Angela Dispastina 6-2, 6-1. Whitney Chappell earned Auburn’s second singles point on court four with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Cami Hubbs.

Melissa Koning defeated Julie Blackmore 6-4, 6-3 to give Auburn its third point. No. 14 Fani Chifchieva clinched the match when she defeated Paloma Escobedo on court one 7-4, 6-1.

The Tigers advance to the NCAA Second Round for the second consecutive year.

Auburn will be back in action today to battle Florida at 3 p.m. 

Cielo wins another gold medal at Olympic Trials
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — Auburn’s Cesar Cielo won his third gold medal in as many days on Friday as he won the 50m butterfly at the Brazilian Olympic Trials.

Cielo, a native of St. Barbara, Brazil, clocked a 24.02 in the 50m fly, beating out Guilherme Roth Dos Santos and his 24.13.

The win is the third of the week for Cielo and his second individual win of the meet.

Men’s tennis faces Wake Forest at NCAA Tourney
The 35th-ranked Auburn men’s tennis team opens the 2008 NCAA Tournament at 9 a.m. today against No. 38 Wake Forest in Athens, Ga.

For Auburn (10-12), it marks the team’s ninth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and 16th overall. Fourteen of the Tigers’ 16 NCAA trips have come under current head coach Eric Shore, who is in his 17th season on the Plains.

“I think we are ready to go,” said Shore. “This is what you play all year for all season, going to the NCAAs, and after three weeks off we are definitely ready to play.”

Overall, Auburn has a 17-15 record in the NCAA Tournament and a 16-13 mark under Shore. This will be Auburn’s first matchup against Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament, but the sixth trip for the Tigers to Athens, Ga. for NCAAs.

The Demon Deacons enter the match with a 17-10 record after falling to top-ranked Virginia in the second round of the ACC Tournament.