May 10, 2003

LINCOLN, Neb. -- On a less-than-ideal day for golf, Northwestern's Elizabeth Burden (Lake Bluff, Ill./Lake Forest) concluded her collegiate career with a 59th-place finish among the 108 competitors at the NCAA Division I Central Regional Championships at Firethorn Golf Club.

The University of California captured the team championship, and will advance to the NCAA National Championships in West Lafayette, Ind., along with Kent State, Texas, Purdue, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Florida and Tulsa.

Wisconsin's Katie Connelly, who finished in a seventh-place tie with Burden at the Big Ten Championships a couple weeks ago, won the Central Regional individual title with a 5-over 218. She edged California's Vikki Laing by a stroke.

Playing the round in rainy, windy and cold conditions, Burden finished her final 18 holes with eight pars, eight bogeys and two double bogeys. She was 13-over for the day, and finished 27-over (77-79-84=240) for the three rounds.