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Printer-friendly format Email this article Paul Smolinski was named Big West Coach of the Year for the sixth time.

UC Irvine to Compete in NCAA East Regional

Anteaters will play in Chattanooga, Tenn., May 15-17

May 5, 2008

IRVINE, Calif. --- The UC Irvine men's golf team will compete in the NCAA East Regional May 15-17 at Council Fire Golf Club in Chattanooga, Tenn., as the regional selections were announced Monday.

This is UCI's seventh trip to the regionals in the past eight years and the 10th overall for the program. UCI, which earned an automatic berth in the regionals by winning its second straight Big West Conference title, will be playing for the first time in a regional other than the West.

Twenty-seven teams and six individuals were awarded spots in the three regionals (East, West and Central). The top 10 teams and top two individuals not on advancing teams from the regionals will gain berths in the NCAA Championship May 28-31 on The Kampen Course at Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex in West Lafayette, Ind.

Georgia is the top seed in the East and the No. 1 overall seed. UCI is seeded 16th in the West and is ranked 46th nationally by Golfstat. The Anteaters will play the first two rounds with players from 17th-seeded Augusta State and No. 18 SMU.

UCI's previous regional appearances were in 1992, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007. The program's top regional finish was third in 2001 as UCI advanced to the NCAA Division I Championship that year and in 1992.

Sophomore John Chin, the 2008 Big West medalist and Player of the Year, leads the Anteaters with a 71.36 average as he has seven top-10 finishes this season.

Junior Sean Shahi, an All-Big West first-team selection and conference runner-up, follows with a 71.94 average and five top-10s. Junior Tim Cha, who placed third at the conference tournament and also a first team All-Big West pick, is averaging 72.09 with a pair of top-10 showings. Senior Kenny Kim, who was named to the All-Big West honorable mention team, has a 72.82 average and two top-10s.

Paul Smolinski, who was named Big West Coach of the Year this season for the sixth time in his 10 years at UCI, has led the Anteaters to five league titles in the past eight years.