Ljungstrom named BIG EAST Golfer of the Week

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

-Anna Karin Ljungstrom takes honors.

-Softball at San Diego Classic.

-Gadd qualifies for NCAA Championships.

-Lacrosse to face Sacred Heart.

-Men's hoops tips it off today.

Erin Go Bragh AND MAY THE LUCK of the Irish be with you and all Cardinal sports programs as they head into a busy weekend.

Anna Karin Ljungstrom has been named Big East Golfer of the Week after a huge performance at the LSU Gold Classic. The sophomore tied for first place but lost in a playoff to #3 ranked Lindy Duncan from Duke at the University Club Golf Course in Baton Rouge on the third hole. Ljungstrom had a third day round of 69 to tie for the lead. The Cardinals finished 1oth as a team in the event...which featured 20 other of the top golf teams in the nation.

Ljungstrom is a red shirt sophomore from Skovde, Sweden and played her high school golf at Vasterjojdsgymnasiet (try getting that on a golf shirt!). She participated in all the Cardinal golf matches last year and this year and is undecided on a major yet.

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Louisville Softball heads to San Diego for weekend softball action in the San Diego Classic II. The Cards will get five games in during the three day event...starting with CS Northridge and San Diego on Friday. Louisville (14-8) has two pitchers that are holding opponents to less than three runs a game in Tori Collins and Carlisa Connell. The Cardinal offensive attack is spearheaded by Chelsea Bemis, who is hitting .407 for the year. The All-American has 10 doubles, four home runs and 23 runs batted in in 22 games, despite a slow start. Alicja Wolny has a .406 average and freshman Katie Keller leads six other Cards that are hitting over .300 for the year. Louisville lost additional firepower when Jordan Trimble's season ended with a broken ankle.

Louisville is getting outstanding play from several of the newer additions to the roster. Freshman Maggie Ruckenbrod has assumed catching duties this year and handled them well, in addition to batting .335. Katie Keller and Taner Fowler, both freshmen, have played well and see the field for Sandy Pearsall's squad on a regular starting basis. Sophomores Alicja Wolny and Jennifer Esteban are also contributing heavily...as was Trimble...before the broken ankle.

The Cards and Kentucky Wildcats will take the diamond at Ulmer Stadium on Weds. March 23rd. Game time is 6 p.m. They're charging $5 for this one and if you want advance tickets...call the UofL Ticket Office at (502) 852-5151.

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Hannah Gadd is the first diver in Cardinal women's history to advance to the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships. Her fourth place finish in the qualifier got her the berth and she'll head to the University of Texas Swimming Center to compete beginning today (Thursday). Gadd is a sophomore out of Fort Thomas, KY. Make a big splash, Hannah!

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Louisville Lacrosse travels to Sacred Heart for a road game . The 5-0 Cards have been getting spectacular play from Bergan Foley, who is one of the leading scorers in the nation and Liz Lovejoy, who was recently named BIG EAST Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week. Lovejoy (pictured here) scored five goals in a 15-3 upset of Oregon last week. The Greenwich, CT. senior has netted five or more five times in her career. Foley is a constant scoring threat and when the Ducks keyed on stopping her...Lovejoy took the job. Also hot right now for Louisville is freshman goalie Ashley Herbst. She stepped up big in the Cards 17-7 win against Jacksonville with 10 stops.

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Today is the first day of the men's NCAA Basketball Tournament and Louisville faces Morehead State today around 1:30 p.m. The games are not on ESPN this year...Louisville's contest will be shown on TBS. That's channel 27 on Insight. This first round of tournament action is always a fun time for Paul here at CARDINAL COUPLE. He'll take a half day at work today and tomorrow (believe it or not...he actually has a full time job) and gather with buddies to watch the game at a secretly guarded location. Then, it's off to Cincinnati for Sunday Lady Cards basketball against Vandy. WE think both Cardinal hoops teams will prosper this weekend and advance to the Sweet Sixteen.

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The road for the Lady Cards will be tough...#10 Vandy is ridiculously under seeded and one of those teams you hate seeing in the first round. If the Cards get by them, it's #2 seed Xavier, on Xavier's floor. The Cards lost a 71-59 decision to the Musketeers early this season at Xavier...but it was a Cardinal team still trying to work in plenty of freshmen and find an identity. Identity crises had been solved and if Louisville can run the court against both opponents...they'll 'take two' and head to Seattle for regional action. GO CARDS GO!

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WE love this edition of Pitino's hoopsters and think they'll go far in the NCAA Tournament. You just never know which Card is going to beat you and that makes it awfully hard for opposing coaches to get ready for Louisville. Preston Knowles is on a mission right now and let's hope 'Kuric Corner' is open and doing a brisk business. Paul is picking the Cards to take the entire thing (he usually does each year) and Sonja has them advancing to the Final Four.

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