The Wisconsin women’s golf team has earned a bid to compete at the NCAA Central Regional May 9-11, in East Lansing, Mich. The 54-hole tournament will be held at the par-72 Forest Akers West Golf Course. It is the second NCAA regional bid in school history, with the 1994 squad receiving the only other bid.

The Badgers have notched five top-five tournament finishes this season, including a second-place finish at the Legends Shootout with a school-record 879. Junior Katie Connelly leads the team with a 75.84 average this season, and is on pace to break the UW single-season scoring record of 76.67 set by Allie Blomquist during the 2000-01 season.

Sophomore Malinda Johnson is second on the team with a 76.58 average. The Eau Claire, Wis., native tied for second at the Big Ten championship over the weekend, equaling the best finish ever by a Wisconsin golfer at the conference meet.

The West and East Regionals will take place in Stanford, Calif., and Baton Rouge, La., respectively. The top eight teams from each site will earn spots in the 2002 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship, May 21-24, hosted by the University of Washington in Seattle.

Big Ten Champions Ohio State, Tulsa, Texas, Oklahoma State, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Purdue, Michigan, TCU, Kent State, Baylor, Northwestern, Indiana, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska and Minnesota are also scheduled to compete in the 21-team Central Regional.