Courtesy UVA Media Relations
Cavalier freshman Elsie MacCleery carded a first-round 67 to lead Virginia through the opening round at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional on Monday at the UNC Finley Golf Course.
As a team, Virginia finished the opening round in third place on the team leaderboard combining for a score of 1-over 281 and sit two strokes clear of the cut line. The top five teams following Wednesday’s final round will advance to the NCAA Championships.
Host North Carolina leads the field with a first-round score of 6-under 274 while top-seeded Texas sits second after combining for a first-round score of 1-under 279.
MacCleery’s first round of 3-under 67 marked a career-best 18-hole score and is tied for the second-best single round score by a Cavalier at an NCAA Regional. She finished the opening day in fourth on the individual leaderboard.
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
MacCleery’s performance marks the second straight season in which a Cavalier freshman carded a round of 3-under after Kennedy Swedick posted a 3-under 68 as a substitute to help the Cavaliers advance out of the Charlottesville Regional in 2025.
Jaclyn LaHa carded 1-under 69 in her opening round to tie for fifth individually after 18 holes. Kennedy Swedick sits in a tie for 18thplace after carding 1-over 71. Mira Berglund (+4, 74) and Remi Bacardi (+6, 76) tied for 36th and 48th place respectively.
The Cavaliers will be paired with North Carolina and Texas for Tuesday’s second round. Those teams will tee off from the first hole beginning at 8 a.m.
TEAM STANDINGS
| Pos. | Team | To Par |
| 1 | North Carolina | -6 |
| 2 | Texas | -1 |
| 3 | Virginia | +1 |
| T4 | Oklahoma State | +2 |
| T4 | Mississippi State | +2 |
| 6 | NC State | +3 |
| 7 | Michigan State | +6 |
| 8 | Kent State | +9 |
| 9 | Furman | +18 |
| 10 | High Point | +20 |
| 11 | Richmond | +27 |
| 12 | Howard | +28 |
VIRGINIA INDIVIDUALS
| Pos. | Player | To Par |
| 4 | Elsie MacCleery | -3 |
| T5 | Jaclyn LaHa | -1 |
| T18 | Kennedy Swedick | +1 |
| T38 | Mira Berglund | +4 |
| T48 | Remi Bacardi | +6 |
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
