The University of Mississippi Athletics
Lady Rebel Golfers Receive First NCAA East Regional Bid
6/21/1999 | Women's Golf
April 27, 1998
OXFORD, Miss.--For the first time in the history of the Ole Miss women's golf program, the Lady Rebels will participate in the NCAA East Regional to be held May 7-9 at the Duke Golf Club in Durham, N.C.
Ole Miss is the fifth seed from the South district, which also includes Georgia, LSU, Furman, Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Miami. Eight of the 19 teams in the East Regional will advance to the NCAA Championship on May 20-23 in Madison, Wis.
"We are extremely excited to get our first bid to the NCAA East Regional," Ole Miss head coach Keil Purdom said. "We have worked very hard this year to make it to the NCAA, and now we want to make it a tradition."
The Lady Rebels are led by three-time All-SEC performer Megan Breen, a junior from Longwood, Fla., with a 76.73 stroke average and four top five, five top 10 and nine top 20 finishes in 10 tournaments this year. Also an Academic All-SEC and Academic All-America, Breen is tied with former Ole Miss golfer Sarah Britt for most top five finishes in a season. Breen captured her first collegiate tournament title this year at the Beacon Woods Invitational (Oct. 10-12).
Lauren Mellen, a senior from Orlando, Fla., is second on the team with a 77.00 average and three top five, five top 10 and seven top 20 performances. A two-time All-SEC and Academic All-SEC selection, Mellen won the Tulane Green Wave Classic this year (Nov. 3-4), tying her with former Lady Rebel Chris Dacri for second in the Ole Miss record book for most tournament victories with two. Mellen fired a 68 in the Lady Gator Invitational (Feb. 27-March 1), which tied her with Dacri for lowest single-round score in history, and her total of 220 tied teammate Robyn Rinaldo for lowest three-round score.
Rinaldo, a sophomore from Dade City, Fla., is third with a 77.83 average and two top five, three top 10 and five top 20 finishes. Also a two-time All-SEC performer, Rinaldo captured her first title this year at the Lady Seminole Classic (Sept. 12-14), where she set the Ole Miss record for lowest three-round score with a 220. Rinaldo's 70 in the first round of the Lady Seminole Classic is second in the Lady Rebel records for lowest single-round score.
Ole Miss finished in the top 10 in all 10 tournaments this season, tying the 1992-93 and 1994-95 Lady Rebel teams for most top 10 finishes in a season. The Lady Rebels set a record for most top five finishes in a season with seven and have a stroke average of 309.48, the lowest in Ole Miss history.
