Mocs Golfer Dorota Zalewska Captures NCAA Raleigh Regionals Title at 12-Under-Par

(gomocs.com) ALEIGH—Chattanooga Mocs graduate Dorota Zalewska won the NCAA Raleigh Regionals Wednesday. Her 12-under 204 total is a program record as she captured Medalist honors by four shots. She turned in rounds of 69, 66 and 69 over three days at N.C. State’s Lonnie Poole Golf Course.

It’s the first NCAA Regionals win for the Mocs women’s golf program. The last time the “Power C” sat atop an NCAA Leaderboard at the end of an event was 2012 with men’s golf and PGA Tour pro Stephan Jaeger ’12 sweeping team and individual wins at the Bowling Green Regionals.

It was not only a dominating performance, she kept dotting her name throughout the program’s record book. The latest is the 204 total. The 12 under finish is the program’s 54-hole record tally and is the 12th time of her career finishing par or better in an event which doubles her nearest competition, former teammate Esme Hamilton ’22, who had six from 2019-22.

“I’m so happy, I just can’t believe it,” Zalewska shared from the Raleigh-Durham Airport. ”About five minutes after we’re done, coach (Colette Murray) came over, and we started celebrating and thinking about my journey. I’m from a country (Poland) where golf is not the most important sport to play, and I just won regionals.

“I really have no words. It just all came together this week.”

She certainly wasn’t on cruise control starting the day with a 3-stroke lead. Zalewska came out with birdies at Nos. 1, 4 and 5 to start out 3 under and push her advantage to five shots. A par on six was followed by back-to-back birds on seven and eight to jump out to a 7-stroke margin at the turn.

Bogeys at 11 and 12 slowed the bullet train a bit. She got a stroke back at 15 before bogey at 18. That closed the tourney with a 4-stroke win over Julia Misemer (Arizona) and Lauren Olivares (N.C. State). Zalewska was nine clear of the number to qualify for the finals starting in nine days.

“It’s just relief,” she added. “I’ve had around three chances to win and didn’t finish how I wanted to this year. I tried to learn from those, and it just worked well this week. Finally, I was the old Dori playing golf. I was reacting too much (before). This tournament, I just relaxed and enjoyed. “Playing a longer course on bent grass was good for me too for sure.

“I just played golf. My ball striking was good, and coach did an amazing job with reads on every green.”

Zalewska advances to the NCAA Championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. She tackles the field from May 19-22 in the stroke play portion of the event.

NCAA Raleigh Regionals

May 8-10 (Mon-Wed) | 54 holes (18 per day)

Lineup

1) Dorota Zalewska: 69-66-69=204 (-12)

3 NCAA Notes to Know

–        6th NCAA Regionals win in school history, 1st for women’s golf…there are two team – 1998 Men’s Cross Country and 2012 Men’s Golf – plus three other individual: 1998 (Nic Crider, Men’s Cross Country), 2005 (Shannon Wommack, Women’s Cross Country) & 2012 (Stephan Jaeger, Men’s Golf).

–        2nd time in school history advancing to NCAA Finals…the team moved forward in 2009 in the program’s first bid…1st individual to earn a spot.

–        2nd-best 54-hole score in postseason play missing Jaeger’s 13-under 203 winning total at the 2012 Bowling Green Regionals by one stroke.

3 Dori Notes to Know

–        4th career win…just 2nd Mocs women’s golfer with four or more wins joining Hall of Famer Emma de Groot ’11 who captured six titles.

–        12th career par or better total for a tournament…set that record with her first (7th overall) of the season…six for the year ties that mark with herself last season…the previous career record was six held by Dori and Esme Hamilton (2019-22)…1st time with all three rounds in the 60s.

–        Posted a career-high 16 birdies for the week…had at least one on 15 of the 18 holes…birdied every hole except 6th, 9th (eagled) & 12th…she became just the second Moc – Emily McLennan with 115 in 2015-16 – to record 100 in a season with her first birdie today…now has 105 for the year, 321 for her career.

Course

Lonnie Poole Golf Club | Par 72 | 6,324 yards

Field (by seed)

Wake Forest, Arizona State, Florida State, Florida, Arizona, North Texas, TCU, N.C. State, Purdue, Nebraska, Campbell, Richmond

Individuals (by seed)

Dorota Zalewska, Chattanooga; Kendall Turner, James Madison; Mallory Fobes, UNC Wilmington; Morgan Ketchum, Virginia Tech; Becca DiNunzio, Virginia Tech; Sarah Kahn, High Point

History

All-Time Entries: 12th

Team: 6 (Advanced in 2009)

Individual: 6th

Last: 2022 – Dorota Zalewska (Franklin) & Esme Hamilton (Albuquerque)

Individual Appearances

2008: Emma de Groot, Athens, Ga., T17, 73-76-74=223 (+7)

2016: Emily McLennan, Birmingham, Ala., T29, 77-75-79=231 (+15)

2019: Monica San Juan, Auburn, Ala., T73, 77-78-75=230 (+15)

2022: Dorota Zalewska, Franklin, Tenn., T21, 76-70-73=219 (+3)

2022: Esme Hamilton, Albuquerque, N.M., T51, 76-78-75=229 (+13)

Top Finishes

T8, Maria Juliana Loza, 2011 Central Regionals (Notre Dame), 73-78-72-223 (+7)

T17, Emma de Groot, 2008 East Regionals (Georgia), 73-76-74=223 (+7)

T18, Christine Wolf, 2011 Central Regionals (Notre Dame), 75-76-74=225 (+9)

T19, Maria Juliana Loza, 2012 East Regionals (Penn State), 73-72-76=221 (+5)

T21, Dorota Zalewska, 2022 Franklin Regionals, 76-70-73=219 (+3)