SAN ANTONIO — UTSA will make its fourth NCAA postseason appearance when it competes in the Austin Regional on Monday-Wednesday, May 7-9, at the University of Texas Golf Club (par 72/6,341 yards).
The Roadrunners are the No. 15 seed in the 18-team field and will compete against (1) Arkansas, (2) Texas, (3) Michigan State, (4) Florida, (5) Auburn, (6) Oklahoma, (7) Houston, (8) Miami, (9) Baylor, (10) Texas A&M, (11), BYU, (12) East Carolina, (13), Texas Tech, (14), Virginia Tech, (16) Georgetown, (17) Houston Baptist and (18) Missouri State. Six individuals also will participate.
The field will play 54 holes of stroke play with each of the three rounds scheduled to tee off beginning at 8 a.m. each day. On Monday, UTSA will join Texas Tech and Virginia Tech in five groups starting off No. 1 at 9:50-10:30 a.m.
Live scoring will be provided at golfstat.com. For complete coverage of the Austin Regional, please visit texassports.com.
The low six teams and low three individuals not on those teams will advance to the NCAA Championship Final, which is slated for May 18-23 at Karsten Creek Golf Club in Stillwater, Okla.
UTSA advanced to three straight NCAA Regionals in 2011-13, finishing 16th in the 2011 West Regional in Auburn, Wash., 20th in the 2012 Central Regional in Columbus, Ohio, and 17th in the 2013 Central Regional in Norman, Okla.
The Roadrunners earned an automatic NCAA postseason berth after capturing their third overall and first Conference USA title on April 18 in Fort Myers, Fla. UTSA carded an 874 to pull away from runner-up UTEP (887) and third-place Old Dominion (891).
Julie Houston and Ana Gonzalez finished 1-2 to lead the way. Houston fired a 4-under-par 212 (73-70-69) to claim her first league crown and third overall win, becoming the program's fourth conference medalist. Gonzalez posted a 3-under 213 (70-73-70) for her second runner-up showing of her freshman campaign.
NCAA Austin Regional
Monday-Wednesday, May 7-9
University of Texas Golf Club
Par: 72 • Yardage: 6,341
Tournament Central: texassports.com
Live Scoring: golfstat.com
University of Texas Golf Club: utgolfclub.com
Participating Teams
1. Arkansas
2. Texas
3. Michigan State
4. Florida
5. Auburn
6. Oklahoma
7. Houston
8. Miami
9. Baylor
10. Texas A&M
11. BYU
12. East Carolina
13. Texas Tech
14. Virginia Tech
15. UTSA
16. Georgetown
17. Houston Baptist
18. Missouri State
UTSA Lineup
1. Julie Houston (Junior • Allen, Texas)
2. Ana Gonzalez (Freshman • Monterrey, Mexico)
3. Becky McGeehan (Senior • Gutersloh, Germany)
4. Nikki Long (Senior • San Antonio, Texas)
5. Madison Kidd (Sophomore • Lake Jackson, Texas)
UTSA'S NCAA POSTSEASON HISTORY
UTSA will be making its fourth NCAA postseason appearance in the 13-year history of the program when it competes in the Austin Regional on May 7-9. The Roadrunners qualified for three straight NCAA Regionals in 2011-13, the first two coming after earning the Southland Conference's automatic bid for back-to-back league crowns and the last as the first-ever at-large NCAA berth by any sport at UTSA.
The 2011 team registered UTSA's top NCAA finish with a 16th-place effort at the West Regional in Auburn, Wash. The Roadrunners carded a 311-313-313—937 in the 24-team field.
First-year head coach Summer Batiste was a player on UTSA's back-to-back NCAA Regional teams in 2011-12. She tied for 89th (77-85-77—239) in 2011 and was 104th (78-83-84—245) the following year.
Additionally, Fabiola Arriaga qualified as an individual for the 2014 NCAA West Regional in Cle Elum, Wash., and tied for 49th with a 232 (77-78-77).
Paola Valerio recorded the program's top NCAA individual finish and score when she tied for 30th with a 221 (76-72-73) at the 2013 NCAA Central Regional in Norman, Okla.
NCAA Regional History
Year Regional (Location) Finish (Score)
2011 West (Auburn, Wash.) 16th (311-313-313—937)
Top Individual — Paola Valerio T-63rd (78-78-78—234)
2012 Central (Columbus, Ohio) 20th (317-326-319—962)
Top Individual — Fabiola Arriaga T-84th (82-80-77—239)
2013 Central (Norman, Okla.) 17th (302-303-299—904)
Top Individual — Paola Valerio T-30th (76-72-73—221)
UTSA CAPTURES CONFERENCE UTSA CHAMPIONSHIP
Julie Houston and Ana Gonzalez finished 1-2 to lead UTSA to the Conference USA Championship on April 18 at Verandah Club in Fort Myers, Fla. The Roadrunners shot an even-par 288 and finished with a 10-over-par 874 to finish 13 strokes ahead of UTEP (887) and 17 in front of Old Dominion (891). The conference title is UTSA's third overall and first since winning back-to-back Southland Conference crowns in 2011-12.
Houston edged Gonzalez by one shot to capture her first league crown and third career collegiate win. The junior from Allen fired a 3-under 69 that was highlighted by five birdies, including four straight on Nos. 8-11 that helped propel UTSA to a comfortable lead. Houston, a two-time all-conference performer, finished with a 4-under 212 (73-70-69) on the strength of a tournament-best 13 birdies. She became UTSA's fourth individual league champion, joining Fabiola Arriaga (2014 C-USA), Allie Jordan (2009 Southland) and Shannon Jungman (2012 Southland).
Gonzalez wrote down three birdies en route to a 2-under 70 on the final day. The freshman ended up in sole possession of second place with a 3-under 213 (70-73-70), the second runner-up finish of her debut season.
Houston and Gonzalez were named to the seven-member All-Tournament Team for their performances.
Becky McGeehan finished 23rd (77-75-74— 226), Madison Kidd tied for 25th (75-78-75— 228) and Nikki Long tied for 27th (76-74-79—229) to round out the UTSA lineup.
ROADRUNNERS REEL IN LEAGUE HONORS
UTSA head coach Summer Batiste was named Conference USA Coach of the Year, Julie Houston collected first-team all-conference accolades and Ana Gonzalez was tabbed C-USA Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference on April 27. UTSA now has earned 30 all-conference certificates in its 13-year history.
Batiste was voted C-USA Coach of the Year by her peers after leading the Roadrunners to four top-five finishes this season, including capturing the program's first C-USA Championship on April 18 in Fort Myers, Fla. Batiste, a four-year letterwinner and member of UTSA's back-to-back conference championship teams in 2011-12, is the second head coach in school history to earn the league's top coaching award, joining two-time Southland Conference Coach of the Year Carrie Parnaby (2011-12).
Houston was one of five league players named to the first team, her third career all-conference award. She captured her first and the program's fourth individual conference crown when she won the C-USA Championship, as the 2016 C-USA Freshman of the Year carded a 4-under-par 212 (73-70-69) to edge Gonzalez by one stroke and help lead UTSA to the team title. The InTouch Credit Union C-USA All-Academic Team selection leads the Roadrunners with a 73.68 stroke average and has finished in the top five in three of her last four tournaments.
Gonzalez was named C-USA Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference. The Monterrey, Mexico, native finished as the conference runner-up by one shot behind Houston after firing a 3-under 213 (70-73-70). She ranks second on the team with a 73.94 stroke average and also registered a second-place finish when she shot a program-record 9-under 205 (70-67-68) at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship. Gonzalez is UTSA's third conference freshman of the year, joining Houston and 2011 Southland honoree Fabiola Arriaga.
PAIR NAMED TO C-USA ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Julie Houston and Nikki Long were named to the InTouch Credit Union Conference USA All-Academic Team in April. The pair snagged two of the five spots on the squad, which honors student-athletes who embody academic and athletic excellence from the sport of women's golf.
This marks the third appearance on the league's all-academic team for Long, a senior from San Antonio. The reigning C-USA Women's Golf Scholar Athlete of the Year boasts a 3.96 GPA as an economics major and she recently received the C-USA Academic Medal (3.75-or-better GPA) for the fourth time. Long has been named a Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American Scholar three times and she was a 2016 C-USA Spirit of Service Award winner.
Houston was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team for the first time in her career. The two-time C-USA Academic Medal recipient owns a 3.86 GPA as a marketing major and is a two-time WGCA All-American Scholar and three-time member of the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll.
SENIOR DUO FAMILIAR WITH UT GOLF CLUB
The UTSA senior duo of Nikki Long and Becky McGeehan is familiar with the University of Texas Golf Club, having played in the 2014 Betsy Rawls Invitational as freshmen. McGeehan tied for 62nd after firing a 241 (72-87-82), while Long tied for 67th with a 246 (79-86-81) to help the Roadrunners to a 10th-place showing. UTSA also competed in the 2013 Betsy Rawls Invitational at the UT Golf Club, tying for 11th.
BATISTE OFF TO SUCCESSFUL START
Summer Batiste is off to a successful start to her head coaching career. In her first year at the helm, she has guided UTSA to a conference championship and an NCAA postseason appearance and was named Conference USA Coach of the Year. The Roadrunners have finished in the top five four times in 2017-18, including capturing the program's third overall league title in April. UTSA's first-ever C-USA Championship also led to its fourth all-time NCAA postseason berth, and the Roadrunners will compete as the No. 15 seed at the Austin Regional on May 7-9.
A native of Spring, Texas, Batiste spent the three previous seasons as an assistant coach before being named the program's third head coach in July 2017.
A former standout player for the Birds in 2007-12, Batiste served as team captain her final two seasons and earned second-team All-Southland Conference honors in both 2010 and 2011. She shared individual medalist honors with teammate Taylor Newlin at the 2012 Islander Classic after shooting a 75-74-71—220 and she posted four additional top-five finishes during her career. Batiste, the daughter of former Texas A&M and Miami Dolphins football player Dana Batiste, was a three-time winner of the UTSA Weight Room Warrior Award.
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