 |
 |
 |
 |
1999 College Sports Spring Preview
 Chuasiriporn's game makes Duke tough to
beat. |
GOLF
Top Teams
1. Duke
Sorry, Coach K, Duke's
best starting five play for women's golf coach Dan Brooks. Led by senior
Jenny Chuasiriporn, Duke has the talent to be the first team east of the
Mississippi to win the NCAA title since 1986. Arizona State coach Linda
Vollstedt says the Blue Devils are even better than that. "Duke might
be the strongest team women's college golf has ever seen."
2. Tulsa
A shoo-in for postseason
play, the Golden Hurricane will be on familiar ground come tournament time
-- the NCAAs are at one of its home courses, the Tulsa Country
Club.
3. Stanford
All five starters are
back from a squad that tied for eighth last year. The Cardinal will
feature sophomores Stephanie Keever and Hilary Homeyer, who had 22
top 15 finishes combined going into February.
4. Arizona State
The two-time defending
champs may have won only one of four tournaments last fall (including
13th- and 12th-place finishes) but don't be misled; Coach Vollstedt has
'98 U.S. Amateur champ Grace Park back in action, and freshman Caroline
Laurens arrived from France in January.
5. Southern
California
Last spring
Jennifer Rosales was the fourth freshman to win the NCAA title since its
inception in 1982. In the fall she was even better; her 72.82 average led
the nation.
6. Georgia
Reilley Rankin, 1998
National Freshman of the Year, won't give the Lady Bulldogs quite enough
bite for their first NCAA crown.
7. Arizona
New to the Wildcats'
talented starting five is freshman Cristina Baena, whose sister, Marisa,
was the NCAA titlist in '96 for Arizona.
8. Washington
Coach Mary Lou Mulflur
knew freshman Kelli Kamimura was good, but this good? In her first three
fall events Kamimura finished fourth, second and tied for eighth.
9. Oklahoma State
Senior Jo Jo Robertson
is the '95 and '97 U.S. Women's Public Links champ, and Swedish sophomore
Maria Boden was the '98 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year.
10. Texas Christian
The '83 NCAA champion is
back in the spotlight with junior Angela Stanford, who won the Dick
McGuire and Roadrunner invitationals last fall.
Hot Dates
April 1-3
Arizona State
Invitational, Tempe, Ariz.
April 2-4
Liz Murphey Collegiate
Classic, Athens, Ga.
May 19-22
NCAA championships,
Tulsa Country Club
Division II-III
In 1988 there were only 15 women's golf programs in Division II and 19 in Division III. Last fall their ranks had grown to 63 and 99 teams, respectively. Reflecting this growth, each division will hold its own championship beginning next season, replacing the event that has been shared since 1996. But in May expect Florida Southern (Division II) -- led by senior Shanna Nagy, the defending Division II-III individual champ -- to unseat '98 titlist Methodist (Division III).
Cybersources
chili.collegesportsnews.com www.golfweb.com/ga/wncaa
Results and rankings
Individual and team
stats
OTHER SPRING SPORTS PREVIEWS
Softball
Track
and Field
Tennis
Golf
Lacrosse
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.