Feb. 12, 2003

PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif.

The No. 8 University of Tennessee Lady Vol golf squad concluded the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge in ninth-place as the 18-team field witnessed the Palos Verdes Golf Club submerge beneath a torrential rain. Tournament officials called off Wednesday's scheduled 8:30 a.m. shotgun start due to the inclement weather. The Big Orange completed Tuesday's second round with a 625 (316-309) to vault seven slots from a first-round 16th-place finish. Pepperdine's Katherine Hull captured the tournament medal with a second-day 144 total (69-75) to move into a one shot lead on the par-71, 5,912-yard layout.

Team captain Jessica Shepley (Oakville, Ontario) concluded the tourney only eight shots out of the lead pace with a 13th-place tying 152 (76-76) to move up 15 positions. The sophomore also extended her current streak of top-15 finishes to five tournaments. Freshmen Golda Johansson (Lund, Sweden) and Violeta Retamoza (Aguascalientes, Mexico) fired a pair of 157s to tie for 35th. Junior Tai Perry (Unionville, Pa.) closed out scoring for UT with a 159 (81-78) to tie for 47th, while fellow junior Mary Jan Fernandez (Henderson, Nev.) rounded out the orange-clad effort with a 167 (86-81) to finish in a 75th-place tie. UT continues the spring season in Tucson, Ariz., Feb. 24-26, when the Lady Vols compete in the Arizona Wildcat Invitational.

Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge
At Palos Verdes Golf Club (Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.)