May 18, 2005

NORMAN, Okla. - TCU senior golfer J.J. Killeen has earned a roster spot on the United States Team for the 2005 Fuji Xerox USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship, the Golf Coaches Association of America announced today. The 12-member squad consists of eight men's and four women's collegiate players. The event will be held July 13-15 at Stanford Golf Course in Palo Alto, Calif.

Killeen, the 2005 Conference USA Golfer of the Year, is currently rated 36th nationally according to the Golfweek/Sagarin individual rankings. The All-America candidate owns a career-best 71.94 stroke average and has placed among the top 20 in all but one of the Horned Frogs' events this year. Killeen, who hails from Lubbock, is just the third athlete in school history to play on four conference championship teams.

Joining Killeen on the men's team are: Travis Bertoni of Cal Poly, South Carolina-Aiken's Dan Burkhart, Will Dodson of SMU, Methodist's Adam Horton, Arizona's Henry Liaw, Shane Prante of St. Martin's and Duke's Nathan Smith. The women's team consists of Wake Forest's Ashley Hoagland, Stacy Lewis of Arkansas, Fresno State's Laura Luethke and Annie Thurman-Young of Oklahoma State.

The United States team boasts five conference players of the year - Killeen (C-USA), Bertoni (Big West), Burkhart (Peach Belt), Dodson (WAC) and Thurman-Young (Big 12). Additionally, Bertoni, Burkhart, Dodson, Horton (USA South), Lewis (SEC) and Thurman-Young claimed their individual league title. Every member of Team USA earned all-conference honors.

Team USA leads all-time USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship series, 22-7, and has won nine straight competitions. Last year, former TCU women's golfer Brooke Tull played for the champions.

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