May 25, 2012

Final 2012 NCAA Championship Results

FRANKLIN, Tenn. - No. 17 Baylor shot a final-round 290 Friday to finish the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship tied for 16th place, capping off one of the greatest seasons in program history.

The Lady Bears concluded their second NCAA Championship appearance with a four-day score of 41-over (299-304-300=290=1193), tying for 16th with long-time conference rival Texas A&M. The Brazos River rivals finished three strokes ahead of 18th-place Colorado (44-over 1193) and one stroke behind 15th-place Duke (40-over 1192).

Alabama claimed its first women's golf national championship, fending off a final-round rally by USC. The Crimson Tide shot a final-round 294 to finish at 19-over 1171, besting the Trojans by one stroke (20-over 1172). Oklahoma's Chirapat Jao-Javanil won the NCAA individual national title, winning by a four-stroke margin. Jao-Javanil became the third Big 12 Conference women's golfer to win the NCAA individual title.

"I'm glad our season ended on such a positive note," first-year head coach Jay Goble said. "We played great all year and the first three rounds were a bit of a letdown for us. We were determined to play a good round Friday."

Senior Jaclyn Jansen notched her second sub-par round of the NCAA Championship, shooting a final-round 70. The highlight of Jansen's round Friday was her first career hole-in-one in her final round as college golfer. With nearly 30 family members seated behind the green on No. 16, the Effingham, Ill., native aced the par-3 16 hole with a 7-iron and a celebration ensued. Jansen tied for 14th overall - the best individual finish by a Baylor golfer in two NCAA Championship trips - at 5-over (71-78-74-70=293).

"JJ had never had a hole-in-one and her family was behind the green on 16," Goble said. "For her to have a hole-in-one in the last round of her college career - on the last par-3 of her college career - was fantastic to witness. And, for her to do that in front of her family and to see their reactions was priceless."

Senior All-Big 12 golfer Chelsey Cothran fired a final-round 72 to conclude her college career with a 51st-place finish at 11-over (79-75-73-72=299). Fellow senior Valerie Sternebeck capped off her one season with the Lady Bears on Friday, tying for 71st at 15-over (79-73-76-75=303).

Freshman Hayley Davis, one of Baylor's two 2012 All-Big 12 performers, tied for 77th at 16-over (74-78-79-73=304), her first finish outside the top 11 all season. Davis concluded her freshman campaign with a 73.08 scoring average, the lowest single-season average in program history. Freshman Stani Schiavone tied for 102nd at 21-over (75-79-77-78=309).

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