May 5, 2008

DALLAS (SMU) - The SMU men's golf team has been selected to compete in the 2008 NCAA Men's Golf Championships, the Division I Men's Golf Committee announced today. The Mustangs were assigned to the East Regional, which will be held May 15-17 and be played at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn.

SMU, the No. 18 seed, is led by freshman Kelly Kraft, the C-USA Freshman of the Year. Kraft, a native of Denton, Texas, had a strong first season on the Hilltop, twice earning Conference USA Men's Golfer of the Week honors. He claimed medalist honors at the Louisiana Classics Golf Tournament and finished second at the Diet Pepsi Shocker Classic. In addition, teammates Ben Tewes and Dan Kleckner had strong showings at the C-USA Championship as they finished fourth and eighth, respectively.

The NCAA Regionals will consist of 81 teams battling for a national title, with three regional sites each hosting 27 teams and six individuals. A total of 10 teams and two individuals from each region will advance to the National Championship, which will be conducted May 28-31 on the Kampen Course at the Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind. SMU has advanced to the National Championships in three of the last five seasons.

EAST REGIONAL- May 15-17
Council Fire Golf Club - Chattanooga, Tennessee
Hosted by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga


Teams:
1. Georgia
2. Charlotte
3. South Carolina
4. Duke
5. Chattanooga
6. Auburn
7. East Tennessee State
8. Michigan State
9. Mississippi
10. UAB
11. Virginia Tech
12. North Carolina State
13. Mississippi State
14. Georgia State
15. North Florida
16. UC Irvine
17. Augusta State
18. SMU
19. Middle Tennessee
20. Coastal Carolina
21. Memphis
22. Virginia
23. Western Carolina
24. Colorado State
25. New Mexico State
26. Western Illinois
27. Jackson State


Individuals:
1. Keegan Bradley, St. John's (New York)
2. Jose Toledo, New Orleans
3. Johnny Caldwell, South Alabama
4. Michael McGrady, Troy
5. Jon Curran, Vanderbilt
6. Grant Leaver, Austin Peay State