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Gniewek, Paladino Advance to U.S. Open Sectionals
10:00 A.M., TUESDAY, MAY 17, 2011

One day before they were set to leave for NCAA Regional play, Baylor senior golfers Payne Gniewek and Cody Paladino participated in U.S. Open local qualifying Monday in Austin. Gniewek and Paladino advanced to U.S. Open sectional qualifying as the Baylor pair claimed two of the five low scores at Austin Country Club. Gniewek shot 69 - the second-lowest score of the round - while Paladino carded a 70.

Sectional qualifiers are 36 holes (played in one day) of stroke play. 13 sectional qualifiers have been scheduled for the 2011 U.S. Open - 11 in the United States, one in England and one in Japan. Those who make it through sectional qualifying will join the final field for the 2011 U.S. Open, along with all the golfers who were exempt from any qualifying (a total of 156 golfers).

The 2011 U.S. Open will be held June 13-19 at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.

Texas Legislature Honors Sylvia Ferdon
10:24 A.M., FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2011

Sylvia Ferdon will retire May 31 as Baylor's head women's golf coach

The Texas Legislature introduced a resolution Friday honoring Sylvia Ferdon, who retires May 31 after serving 17 years as Baylor's head women's golf coach. Texas Representative Tom Craddick (Austin) introduced the Resolution in the Texas House of Representatives.

Here's the Resolution in its entirety:

WHEREAS, Sylvia Ferdon, head coach of the Baylor University women's golf team, is retiring on May 31, 2011, after a notable career spanning 17 years; and
WHEREAS, Coach Ferdon has guided the program since 1994 and helped the Lady Bears to attain a new level of prominence as they became strong contenders for the Big 12 title and regularly earned a spot in the NCAA regional tournament; and
WHEREAS, A successful player before she entered the coaching ranks, Sylvia Ferdon was a member of the golf team at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and has been inducted into that school's athletic hall of fame; she went on to compete on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour for five years as well as in other professional events, and she took part in the LPGA Championship in 1992; in addition to her undergraduate degree, she holds a master's degree in education from Tarleton State University; and
WHEREAS, This skilled mentor gained her first experience as a coach at the University of Florida, where she was an assistant in 1973-1974, and at Florida State University, where she served as head coach the following year; she has numerous years of experience as an instructor and has been a Class A member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals Division since 1990; and
WHEREAS, After being appointed to her position overseeing the Baylor women's golf program, Coach Ferdon quickly demonstrated her knack for recruiting quality athletes, and her ability to teach and inspire led to success on the course; the Lady Bears took part in the NCAA regionals in 10 of the past 12 years and received the team's first berth in the NCAA Championship in 2004; moreover, the squad realized its highest all-time finishes in the Big 12 under her direction, with numerous players earning conference honors; in recognition of her fine work, she received the Big 12 Coach of the Year award in 2000 and 2009; and
WHEREAS, Coach Ferdon has also created an environment that has helped players to excel in their studies; her athletes have been named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team 37 times, and the Lady Bears received awards from the NCAA Division 1 Academic Performance Program in both 2009 and 2010; and
WHEREAS, Through her knowledge, leadership, and commitment to excellence, Sylvia Ferdon has enhanced the stature of the Baylor University women's golf program while serving as a role model to countless young women; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby honor Sylvia Ferdon on the occasion of her retirement as head coach of the Baylor University women's golf team and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Coach Ferdon as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.

Congratulations Coach Ferdon on an outstanding career and Sic 'Em!

Davis Advances to English Amateur Match Play
1:24 P.M., WEDNESDAY, MAY 11, 2011

After shooting a second-round 73 Wednesday, defending English Amateur champion Hayley Davis advanced to the Round of 32 match play in the 2011 English Women's Amateur Championship. Davis finished stroke play tied for fifth overall at even-par 144, edging ahead of first-round leader Charlotte Ellis.

Davis will face Sophie Keech in the first round of match play Thursday at West Sussex.

Fellow Baylor signee Emma Carberry missed the cut for match play, tying for 37th overall at 17-over 161. After shooting a first-round 79, Carberry followed with an 82 in the second round Wednesday.

UPDATE: Davis withdrew Thursday morning from the English Amateur Championship due to illness.

Women's Golf Signees Competing at English Amateur
2:35 P.M., TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2011

Defending English Amateur champion Hayley Davis

Two of England's top women's golfers - Baylor signees Hayley Davis and Emma Carberry - are competing this week at the 2011 English Amateur Championship at West Sussex (U.K.) Golf Club. Davis, who is the defending English Amateur champion, shot a first-round 1-under 71 and one shot behind leader Charlotte Ellis. Representing Ferndown Golf Club, Davis carded five birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey during the first qualifying round.

Fellow Baylor signee Emma Carberry is tied for 25th overall after shooting an opening-round 7-over 79.

Emma Carberry

The second round of qualifying will be held Wednesday; Davis will be in the second group, teeing off at 2:38 a.m. CDT (8:38 a.m. BST). Carberry will tee off at 4:54 a.m. CDT (10:54 a.m. BST).

Following Wednesday's second round of stroke play, the top 32 players will advance to match play stages which will start Thursday.

Track Scaling the Ranks
3:50 P.M., WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2011

In a season that is shaping up to be one of the best in the history of the Big 12, Baylor's track and field teams have met the challenge of competing in the nation's best conference. According to the latest USTFCCCA computer rankings, the Big 12 ranks No. 1 on both the men's and women's sides, featuring nine top-25 women's teams and seven top-25 men's teams.

As for Baylor, the Bears are right in the thick of the action as the season turns the corner to head down the homestretch, with the women cracking the top 10 at 10th and the men sitting 13th. Just two meets remain before June's NCAA Outdoor Championships, the Big 12 Championships and the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds.

Baylor will travel to the conference meet with 27 top-10 league marks to its credit, hoping to improve on last year's fifth-place men's finish and eighth women's finish. But, more importantly, the Bears will use the nation's toughest conference championship meet as fuel to add to the already 30 top-48 West region marks established. The top 48 performances in each individual event, as well as the top 24 relay teams, will be invited to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA West Preliminary Rounds for a chance to earn an NCAA Championship berth.

BU features six top-10 national marks on the women's side, including the nation's No. 1 time in the 100-meter hurdles of 12.74 by freshman Tiffani McReynolds. An indoor All-American earlier this season, McReynolds also leads off the seventh-ranked 4x100-meter relay team, followed by Tiffany Townsend, Brittany Bruce and Brittany Carr.

Townsend, who will try to add to her BU record-tying mark of 15 All-America certificates, is ranked fifth in the 100 meters nationally with a time of 11.09. The senior also turned in Baylor's fastest split on the 4x400-meter relay squad that ran the NCAA's fifth-fastest time of 3:31.58 last weekend at the Drake Relays. She is joined by Bruce, Diamond Richardson and Brittany OgunMokun.

On the track for the men, sprinter Woodrow Randall has had an immediate impact for Baylor, tying Michael Johnson's school record of 10.13 in the 100 meters to rank sixth in the NCAA. Randall also runs the third leg on the 10th-ranked 4x100-meter relay team that consists of Marcus Boyd, Whitney Prevost and Zwede Hewitt. The latter trio all run on Baylor's No. 3 4x400-meter relay team with James Gilreath and their season-best time of 3:01.77.

Baylor owns solid representation in the field events on a national level as well. Senior Nick Lyons unleashed the nation's second-best throw in the men's javelin of 257 feet, two inches, two weeks ago at the Michael Johnson/Dr Pepper Invitational.

For the ladies, sophomore Skylar White is ranked in the top 10 in both the shot put and discus, while Jessica Ubanyionwu sits eighth in the triple jump after a career-best performance at the MJ Classic. White is eighth in the shot put with her school-record throw of 56-3 and ninth in the discus at 178-3. Ubanyionwu, meanwhile, bettered her career-best by four inches in the triple jump with the nation's eighth-best mark at 43-2.5.

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