May 9, 2003

FURMAN CARDS 293 TO MOVE INTO TIE FOR NINTH AT EAST REGION; JACKSON TIED FOR SECOND, ONE STROKE OFF LEAD

CLEMMONS, North Carolina -- Four of Furman’s five golfers improved their score from Thursday to Friday as the Lady Paladins carded a 293 in the second round of the NCAA East Region Championship, moving from 15th into a tie for ninth at the Salem Glen Golf and Country Club, with a two round total of 600.

Brandi Jackson paced the Lady Paladins for the second day in a row, firing an even-par 71 to total 139, one stroke off the lead pace set by North Carolina’s Meaghan Francella, who recorded her second consecutive 69 to tally 138. Freshman Haley Gildea and senior Leigh Turner each shot 73 for Furman on Friday, while Tiarna Harman added a 76 and Cimmie Shahan fired an 83. Gildea and Harman are tied in 68th at 155, while Turner is 44th at 151, and Shahan is 106th at 186.

Furman is eight strokes out of eighth place and 26 off the lead, which is held by Duke. The top eight teams and top two individual finishers in the East Region Championship will advance to the NCAA Championships, May 20-24, in West Lafayette, Ind. The Furman team last advanced to the NCAA finals in 1999, while Jennifer Perri earned an individual bid in 2000.

Furman Results
T9th Team 307-293=600
T2nd Brandi Jackson 68-71=139
T44th Leigh Turner 78-73=151
T68th Tiarna Harman 79-76=155
T68th Haley Gildea 82-73=155
106th Cimmie Shahan 93-83=186