University of North Carolina Athletics
Carolina's Meaghan Francella Wins NCAA East Regional
May 8, 2004 | Women's Golf
May 8, 2004
Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla. - Tar Heel senior Meaghan Francella fired a three-under-par 69 for a seven-under 209 total to capture the individual championship of the NCAA East Regional. Teammate Ashley Prange also fired a three-under 69 in the final round to finish as the runner-up with a two-under 214 total. The two Tar Heels led Carolina which finished in third place in the team race with an 892 total after firing a seven-over 295 in the final round, the second lowest score of the day.
Top-ranked Duke captured the team title finishing 22 strokes ahead of the 21-team field with a five-over 859 total after firing the day's low score, a three-over 291. UNLV was the runner up with an 891 total, just one stroke ahead of the Tar Heels. Following Carolina in the standings is Florida State in fourth place at 904, Wake Forest finished fifth at 906, Furman is sixth at 907, Tennessee is seventh at 918 and Oklahoma State and Florida are tied for eighth place with 920 totals.
"I'm really proud of our whole team, particularly the two seniors," said North Carolina head coach Sally Austin. "Meaghan had a terrific win over a great field and Ashley played extremely well today too. They beat a lot of great players. The team hung in there - we're going to nationals (NCAA Championship) and I'm thrilled about that."
While Francella and Prange finish one-two in the individual standings, a pair of Duke players tied for third place with one-over 217 totals - Elizabeth Janangelo and Brittany Lang. A trio of players tied for fifth place at 218 - Duke's Leigh Anne Hardin, Furman's Jenny Suh and UNLV's Sunny Oh. Deborah Means of Wake Forest finished eighth with a 221 total.
For the Tar Heels, freshman Katie Miller carded a 79 in the final round for a 233 total and tied for 43rd place while sophomore Beth Marushak posted a 78 for a 236 total and tied for 48th and sophomore Romi Irons tallied an 86 for a 250 total and tied for 89th.
The 54-hole event was played at the Mission Inn Golf and Tennis Resort which featured a par 72, 6,165-yard layout. The top eight teams and top two individuals not on those eight teams advance on to the NCAA Championship to be played May 18-21 in Opelika, Ala. The teams advancing to the NCAA Championship are listed below. The two individuals advancing are Adrienne Gautreaux of South Carolina and Adrienne Millican of East Carolina.
TEAM STANDINGS (54 Holes)
1. Duke 286-292-291-869
2. UNLV 297-297-297-891
3. North Carolina 303-294-295-892
4. Florida State 308-300-296-904
5. Wake Forest 310-297-299-906
6. Furman 312-300-295-907
7. Tennessee 307-306-305-918
8. Oklahoma State 298-309-313-920
Did Not Make Cut (ties broken by playoff):
Florida 310-295-315-920
10. Tulane 301-313-314-928
11. Auburn 302-312-315-929
12. Louisiana State 319-305-306-930
13. Miami 309-310-319-938
14. Campbell 319-312-316-947
15. NC State 316-317-317-950
South Carolina 316-320-314-950
17. UNC-Wilmington 320-317-321-956
18. Alabama 311-318-332-961
19. Mississippi 338-326-326-989
20. Southern 337-325-345-1007
21. St. Francis-Pa. 338-341-348-1027
TOP INDIVIDUALS (54 Holes)
1. Meaghan Francella (UNC) 69-71-69-209
2. Ashley Prange (UNC) 74-71-69-214
3. Elizabeth Janangelo (Duke) 72-76-69-217
Brittany Lang (Duke) 71-72-74-217
5. Leigh Anne Hardin (Duke) 71-72-75-218
Jenny Suh (Furman) 75-70-73-218
Sunny Oh (UNLV) 72-73-73-218
Deborah Means (WF) 75-70-76-221
CAROLINA'S INDIVIDUALS
1 Meaghan Francella 69-71-69-209
2 Ashley Prange 74-71-69-214
T43 Katie Miller 79-75-79-233
T48 Beth Marushak 81-77-78-236
T89 Romi Irons 82-82-86-250
![Images from the first round of the 2026 Gators Invitational on Friday, March 6, 2026 at Mark Bostick Golf Course at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. [Photo by Matt Pendleton Photography for North Carolina Tar Heels Athletics]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Func.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F3%2F7%2F260306-NCAAWGOLF-UNC-GatorsInvitational-0828-MattPendleton_copy.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
Players Mentioned
