NCAA Regional Selections (PDF)
INDIANAPOLIS – For the fourth-straight season, Carson-Newman has locked in a spot in the NCAA South/Southeast Regional, this time going to the tournament as the third seed in the Southeast, as announced on Friday evening.
This is the fifth appearance for Randy Wylie's team in six seasons and ties for their highest seeding in the region in that time, also third heading into the 2016 regional. They are one of 80 teams in Division II who have earned a place in postseason play.
Eight regions will partake in four regional tournaments, vying to grab a berth in the National Championships. The South/Southeast regional will have seven team berths into the final with two individual spots for the national final that will take place May 21-25 at the Cobb Course at the Resort at Glade Springs in Daniels, W. Va.
Carson-Newman has been ranked nationally nearly every week this season with its highest ranking coming at the eighth-spot in the Bushnell Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll back in late September. The Eagles had six top-three finishes this season including a win at the Aflac/Cougar Invitational in September to help bolster is resume to make the regional field. They head to the national tournament holding a 73.20 scoring average.
Lincoln Memorial, ranked 10th in both the Golfstat and GCAA Coaches' polls leads the Southeast into the Super Regional as the No. 1 seed. No. 11/11 Young Harris sits one spot ahead of C-N while No. 14/14 Limestone and No. 25 Columbus State round out the top-five, respectively.
One other South Atlantic Conference team also made the cut for the region along with C-N and LMU, that being SAC Champion Queens at the eighth spot.
As a whole, the South/Southeast Regional has been the premiere tournament heading into the national final with the last seven national title winners coming from the region. Since 2000, the regional has paved the way for 16 eventual national champions.
The South region holds the top three teams in the nation in both polls – top-ranked Barry, No. 2 Lynn and No. 3 West Florida.
Since 2008, the Eagles have seen three top-10 finishes in the regional, including tying for ninth the last two years. Tom Forster (Northamptonshire, England) was one of the top two players not on an advancing team by the conclusion of last year's regional, earning him an individual spot in the national final where he tied for 63rd.
The three-day South/Southeast Regional begins on May 9 from the Mission Inn Resort and Club's El Campeon Course in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla., hosted by Rollins College and the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.