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Bucknell Men's Golf Team Slotted in Tucson for NCAA Regionals
May 8, 2006 LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Patriot League champion Bucknell men's golf team learned on Monday that it will be traveling to Tucson, Ariz., next week for the NCAA Regionals. A total of 27 teams and six individuals not on selected teams were assigned to each of three regional sites. The Bison, coming off their first-ever Patriot League title, will play in the West Region at the Tucson National Golf Resort & Spa May 18-20. Bucknell is seeded 27th in a region stacked with talented teams. Florida, Arizona State, BYU, East Tennessee State and Baylor are the top five seeds, followed by Alabama, host Arizona, San Diego State, North Carolina State and Washington. "The guys are really excited about going to the NCAAs" said Jim Cotner, the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2006. "They want to see just what is out there at the next level. It is certainly going to be a different measuring stick for us, but I really think we are going to go out there for three days and be very competitive." If the Bison can finish in the top 10, they will advance to the national championship May 31-June 3 at Crosswater Golf Club at Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore. Bucknell is one of two Patriot League teams that will be playing in the NCAA Regionals. Army, which finished second to Bucknell by two strokes at the conference tournament last month, received an at-large bid and will play in the East Regional at Lake Nona GC in Orlando, Fla. The Bison are led by junior Charlie Waddell, who won his second straight Patriot League championship after shooting a 3-under-par 210 at the U.S. Naval Academy GC two weeks ago. A three-time all-conference performer, Waddell is averaging a solid 74.4 this spring. Waddell and the rest of his teammates will also have a chance to advance to the finals individually, as the top two players in each region not on a top-10 team will qualify. Senior Ben Pellicani, juniors Kyle Moran and Chas Wagner and sophomore Keita Aoki will also be in the lineup for Bucknell. Wagner's father, Charles "Chick" Wagner '76, also played in the NCAA Championship for Bucknell in 1975 and 1976. Tucson National is the longtime site of the PGA Tour's Chrysler Classic, the ninth-oldest tournament on tour. The course features a challenging par-72, 7,200-yard layout. Following practice rounds on Wednesday, May 18, 18 holes will be played each day beginning May 18. Action is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. EDT (7 a.m. in Tucson). Tee times are to be announced. Bucknell is the only team from the Northeast playing in Tucson. Georgia, the top seed in the East Region, is the defending national champion. Live tournament scoring will be available at www.golfstat.com. Complete results and recaps will be posted at www.BucknellBison.com and www.ncaasports.com. For ticket information, call (520) 621-2287. EAST REGIONAL- May 18-20 Lake Nona Golf-Orlando, Florida Hosted by the University of Central Florida and the Central Florida Sports Commission
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