BEAUMONT, Texas – The Lamar University Cardinals will compete at the Bryan Regional of the NCAA Women's Golf Championships set for May 5-7 at the Traditions Club in Bryan, Texas.
 
The Cardinals, who won their fourth consecutive Southland Conference Tournament championship earlier this month are seeded 17^th in the 18-team regional. The top six teams and top three individuals from each of the four regionals advance to the NCAA National Championships in Eugene, Ore.
 
"This will be the toughest tournament of the season for us," first-year coach Jessica Steward said after learning where her team is headed. "We have already started to prepare for the challenge."
 
LU senior Taylor Stockton will be making her fourth trip to the regionals, while junior Wenny Chang, the two-time Southland Conference Golfer of the Year, is headed to the regionals for the third straight year.
 
"We are going to rely on their leadership and experience," Steward said of Stockton and Chang. "They will help our other three players know what to expect during the tournament."
 
Stockton, the first women's golfer in SLC history to be a member of four consecutive championship squads, has played the Traditions Club course before.
 
"I played it in a junior tournament," Stockton said. "It's a tough course, but it's also a fun course. I'm looking forward to playing it again."
 
UCLA is the top-seeded team in the regional, followed by Georgia and Arizona. The Cardinals are one of six Texas schools in the regional, as LU is joined by SMU, Texas, Texas State, Texas A&M and TCU.
 
"There are obviously a number of great teams in the field," Steward said. "We know we will have to play our best golf of the year. We just have to focus on our game and not worry about what the other teams are doing."
 
While many of the LU players were hoping to be sent to the Stanford Regional in California, Steward is happy the Cardinals are making the 182-mile drive to Bryan.
 
"We don't have to worry about flights and connections," Steward said. "We can make the short drive and concentrate on golf."
 
While Stockton and Chang are veterans when it comes to competing in the regionals, this will be the first regional appearance for LU's other three golfers (Olivia Le Roux, Kura Poko and Felicia Sauceda).
 
"They'll have to put it together quickly," Steward said. "It's a new experience for them, but with all that they have accomplished this year, it's going to be a positive experience for them."
  1. University of California, Los Angeles
2. University of Georgia
3. University of Arizona
4. Kent State University (Mid-American Conference)
5. Furman University (Southern Conference)
6. Texas A&M University, College Station
7. Texas Christian University
8. University of Texas at Austin
9. Southern Methodist University
10. University of Louisville
11. University of Miami (Florida)
12. Tulane University
13. Campbell University (Big South Conference)
14. Indiana University, Bloomington
15. Texas State University (Sun Belt Conference)
16. University of Delaware (Colonial Athletic Conference)
17. Lamar University (Southland Conference)
18. Quinnipiac University (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) 1. Laura Lonardi, Baylor University
2. Alessandra Liu, College of William and Mary
3. Bianca Pagdanganan, Gonzaga University
4. Hannah Wood, University of Oklahoma
5. Brooke Ferrell, University of Wisconsin, Madison
6. Amy Ihm, University of Iowa