Bears Earn At-Large Bid to NCAA Regionals

INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time in program history, the Mercer women's golf team is headed to the NCAA Tournament after earning an at-large bid to the Louisville Regional, the NCAA announced during its annual selection show on Wednesday afternoon.

"Wow Wow Wow!! The glass ceiling has been shattered, and I'm so excited for this team to be the first team in program history to qualify for the NCAA Regional Tournament," said head coach Michele Drinkard. "We talked about it all year and kept bouncing back to our process and to be observant to the smallest of details that go into practice to be ready to compete. I couldn't be happier for this group of women and the legacy they are leaving for our future teams. Now it's time to compete!"

The Bears are coming off a third-place finish at the Southern Conference Championships where four players finished inside the top-15, including top-10 finishes by Lauren Lightfritz (T-3rd) and Laila Hrindova (8th). Lightfritz and Payton Schanen were recently named to the All-SoCon Team, while Tracy Rodriguez earned a spot on the all-freshman team.

As a team, Mercer is ranked 56th in the GolfStat rankings. The Orange and Black also have two individuals ranked in Schanen and Lightfritz who are 149th and 222nd, respectively.

The Bears will begin the three-day regional tournament on May 10 at the University of Louisville Golf Club in Simpsonville, Ky.

Follow the Bears
For complete coverage of Mercer Women's Golf, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerWGolf (Twitter), /MercerWGolf (Facebook) and @MercerWGolf (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.

Players Mentioned

Laila Hrindova

Lauren Lightfritz

Tracy Rodriguez

Payton Schanen

Footer

Mercer University Athletics