CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. ? Georgia State senior Joel Sjoholm qualified for NCAA Men's Golf Championship competition by posting a final-round score of 67 (-4) at the NCAA East Regional at Council Fire Golf Club on Saturday.

The nation's fourth-ranked player rallied with a seemingly flawless third round to push his way to fifth overall with a three-round total of 205 (-8). Sjoholm carded four birdies in his final round and had a bogey-free round.

“It's exciting because I have the opportunity to finish what I started this year and that is being the number one player in the country,” said Sjoholm. “I played good golf today and it was great to earn a spot in Nationals. However, this is somewhat bittersweet because I wanted the team to go together. Going by myself is not as big as if the entire team went.”

The Colonial Athletic Association Golfer of the Year and top-ranked player in the field led the 41st-ranked Panthers to a third-round score of 288 (+4) to finish in 17th. By finishing outside of the top-10 overall with a three-round score of 861 (+9), the Panthers were unable to advance to the NCAA Finals as a team.

“This is a young team and we made a few bad decisions,” said Georgia State head coach Matt Clark, “and at Regionals you have to make good decisions to survive.

“We played a tough schedule all year and some egos were bruised, but we continued to work and get better until we had a great tournament to win the conference and earned the right to be here,” Clark continued. “But, the experience was great; now we've got something to build on and a great returning nucleus.”

Individually, Sjoholm needed a spectacular third round to climb from a tie for 13th to finish as one of the top-two individuals not affiliated with an advancing team to earn a Nationals berth.

The senior played a steady front nine at one-under par to remain in contention at the turn and surged on the back nine to claim his seat at the NCAA Championship. The 2008 CAA individual champion posted consecutive birdies on the 12th and 13th holes, a stretch he was yet to birdie on in the previous two rounds, to move towards the top.

For Sjoholm, who ranks first nationally in par-three scoring, his birdie on the par-three 12th was his first under-par score on a par-three hole in the event. His birdie on the par-four 15th allowed Sjoholm to move into fifth and become the highest-placing individual on a non-advancing team. Needing a long-par putt to close out on the 18th hole, Sjoholm delivered and offered an emphatic fist pump to the crowd.

“Joel played great all year and he continued this week,” added Clark. “It's fitting one of the best players in the country will finish his career with a chance to win Nationals. It's been fun coaching him and he's a great team player. He wanted the team to go [to Nationals] and just tried to make as many birdies as he could to get the team there.”

In addition to Sjoholm's exciting finish, sophomore Tom Sherreard claimed a tie for 47th with a final-round score of even-par 71. The 84th-ranked player nationally finished with a three-round total of 214 (+1).

Rounding out State's five-man lineup, sophomore Maurice Jordan finished tied for 104th (222, +9), while freshmen Alex Castro and Brent Paul finished tied for 121st and in 132nd respectively.

While the Panthers failed to reach the NCAA Championship, the 2008 season was successfully for many reasons. Most notable among numerous highlights, the Panthers won their second CAA Championship in three years and sixth conference title overall and a young team came together in the CAA Championship final round to post a team-score of 274, tying the second-lowest team round in Georgia State history.

Check GeorgiaStateSports.com for updates prior to Sjoholm's NCAA Nationals appearance.

Georgia State Individual Scores:
5th ? Joel Sjoholm ? 69-69-67 ? 205, -8
T47th ? Tom Sherreard ? 73-70 ? 214, +1
T104th ? Maurice Jordan ? 73-72 ? 222, +9
T121st ? Alex Castro ? 72-75 ? 225, +12
132nd ? Brent Paul ? 77-78 ? 228, +15

Team Scores: