Lopez, Uriell Help Arkansas Move Up

ST. GEORGE, Utah – Junior Gabriela Lopez and freshman Alana Uriell posted solid scores and helped the eighth-ranked University of Arkansas women’s golf team move up the leaderboard in second round action at the NCAA Regional in St. George, Utah.

Lopez and Uriell each fired a second-round one-over 72 and both are in the top 10 while the Razorbacks posted a 296 to move up four spots into a tie for third place overall.  The top six teams move on to the NCAA Championship at Bradenton, Fla., May 22-27.

Lopez opened her day with back-to-back pars before moving to one-over with a bogey on the third hole.  She rallied with a birdied on the seventh hole to turn even par.  Lopez played the back nine one-over with a couple of birdies coming into the clubhouse.  Lopez is tied for fourth overall shooting 73-72=145.

Uriell turned a two-over with three bogeys and one birdie on the front nine.  She birded the 10^th and 16^th holes shooting 72.  Uriell is tied for sixth overall with 75-72=147.

Junior Regina Plasencia rallied from a slow start and illness in round one taking seven strokes off her total to shoot 75 in the second round.  Plasencia is tied for 58th overall shooting 82.75=157.  Sophomore Samantha Marks is tied for 42^nd overall.  Marks posted rounds of 76-79=155.

Sophomore Summar Roachell rounds out the Razorback scores and is tied for 70^th overall.  Roachell is in the clubhouse with 82-77=159.

Top-ranked Southern California continues to lead the field shooting a second-round eight-over 292 for a 585.  The teams in the top six include No. 16 Stanford with 596, No. 38 California and No. 8 Arkansas tied for third with 602, No. 9 Virginia with 604 and No. 22 UNLV with 605.

From Shauna Estes-Taylor

Obviously Alana (Uriell) did a great job and having her out there playing well is great.  Gaby (Gabriela Lopez) had another solid round of golf as well. To get Regina (Plasencia) and Summar (Roachell) back firing again today was important.  It takes all five of us and we put ourselves in a position tomorrow where we don’t have to go out and be perfect.  We just have to go out and be Arkansas and if we do that we will take care of business.  I’m excited that we were able to climb and be in a good position today.

Gaby hit close a bunch today and it could have been really great.  She had a blip on 17 but she is just so solid in all aspects of the game and it really shows up when you play championship golf and you have all of those tools.  It was nice to see Regina play a little more solid today.

We are expecting a little more of the same tomorrow (with the weather and the course)…High 60s and wind.  You just have to know that and be prepared and be smart when you are out there.  It is very demanding coming in and it just takes some smart plays coming down the stretch.
@RazorbackWGolf Lineup

Team Results