Colorado State University Athletics
Women's Golf Preview: NCAA West Regional
5/10/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Golf
May 10, 2006
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On the Next Tee... Sophomore standout Chelsea Benton has been selected to play in the 2006 NCAA West Regional tournament in Auburn, Wash. Benton is one of only three players selected to compete as an individual in the region and one of only nine players to be selected nationally. The three-day tournament is hosted by the University of Washington and will be held at the Washington National Golf Club.
2006 NCAA West Regional A total of 21 teams and three individuals have been selected to compete in this year's tournament, 16 of which are ranked in the top-50 Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. The field includes UCLA, Georgia, Purdue, Arkansas, UNLV, Arizona, Stanford, New Mexico, Washington, Long Beach State, BYU, UC Irvine, San Jose State, Denver, Oregon State, Washington State, New Mexico State, Georgia State, Oral Roberts, Bradley and Montana. The individual competitors are Chelsea Benton of Colorado State, Jessica Potter of San Francisco, and Renee Skidmore of Idaho.
Live stats of the 2006 NCAA West Regional can be found on golfstat.com and results will also be posted on the University of Washington's athletic website, gohuskies.com.
Benton's Numbers Chelsea Benton had a record breaking sophomore season. Her three top 10 finishes put her in ninth place for single season individual top 10 finishes. Her second round score of 67 in the Las Vegas Founders Collegiate Showdown earned her the record of lowest individual single-round score in school history and her 69 in the first round of the same tournament was the fifth lowest single round score ever. Benton's tournament score at the Las Vegas Founders Collegiate Showdown ranks as the second lowest individual tournament score in CSU history and her 218 at the Mountain View Collegiate ranks as ninth lowest. Chelsea also holds the record for lowest single season stroke average with a 74.97.
Benton's outstanding play did not go unnoticed. She was named the Mountain West Conference Golfer of the Month in November and was also only one of eight players honored on the All-Mountain West Conference team.
2005 NCAA West Regional Competing in post season play is nothing new for Chelsea Benton. She was one of five players to compete for Colorado State in the 2005 NCAA West Regionals in Las Cruces, N.M. The Rams finished the tournament in 15th place and Benton tied for 103rd place after carding an 87-83-77=247.
Year-In-Review The Colorado State women's golf team had a solid showing this year. The team had three top 10 finishes, their best coming at the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic where they came in fifth. The team's first-round score of 286 at the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic ranks as the lowest single-round team score in CSU history and the season stroke average of 308.48 is the fifth lowest team average on record. The team scores of 893 at the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic, the 899 at the Las Vegas Founders Collegiate Showdown, the 909 at the Give `Em Five Invitational, and the 918 at both the Dick McGuire Invitational and the Mountain View Collegiate rank in the top 20 lowest tournament scores in school history.