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Oct. 7, 2002
SAN DIEGO - Aiming to rebound from an 18th-place finish in its first event of the fall, the San Diego State women's golf team returns to action today for the 7:30 a.m. first round of the Price's Give 'Em Five Intercollegiate at NMSU University Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M.
- Hosted by New Mexico State, the 20-team tournament features a very competitive field with eight of Golfweek's top 50 teams, headlined by No. 6 New Mexico. The field's top individual is Golfweek's No. 2-ranked player, Oklahoma's Lisa Meldrum.
- The Aztecs participated in the 2001 Price's Intercollegiate and finished 10th out of 14 teams at 65-over 929. Senior Heather Rollo recorded the Aztecs' top score with an 11-over 227 that was good for 25th, while three other Aztecs in this year's lineup also played last season. Shayna Miyajima registered a 13-over total of 229 to finish 33rd, while Claire Riley (236) placed 51st and Sandy Kim (239) was 55th.
Recapping the McGuire Invitational
- SDSU faced plenty of adversity in its first event of the season. With senior Jennifer Hoene unable to play in the first two rounds due to a bout with the flu, the Aztecs found themselves down a player and without the cushion of an extra score to drop. SDSU was forced to count three first-round scores in the 80s. The Aztecs, however, did improve their scores in each of the next two rounds and finished in 18th place.
- Junior Shayna Miyajima rebounded from a first-round 85 to shoot 75-77 in the final two rounds to tie for 49th. Junior Sandy Kim tied for 51st, while senior Claire Riley grabbed a share of 83rd and redshirt freshman Toni Lutz finished her first collegiate tournament in a tie for 100th. Hoene played the final round and shot 86.
What Did You Do This Summer?
- Junior Shayna Miyajima enters the fall 2002 collegiate season brimming with confidence after a summer that saw her improve her already impressive amateur credentials. The Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii native began the summer by winning a sectional qualifying tournament to earn her home state's lone berth in the 2002 U.S. Women's Amateur Championship. She followed that up with her second consecutive victory at the Maui Women's Open, shooting 73-69-142 for a five-shot victory.
- Miyajima then entered the Women's Amateur as the 107th seed out of 150 participants, but she quickly proved that seeding did not matter by tying for 21st in the stroke-play portion of the event to qualify among the low 64 for match play.
- Miyajima went on to defeat two higher-seeded opponents, but her spectacular four-day run at the championship came to an end when she was finally eliminated in the round of 16.
- A fixture in the Aztec line-up as one of the program's most consistent performers, Miyajima possessed San Diego State's third-best stroke average (77.4) as a sophomore in 2001-02. She boasted the Aztecs' best count percentage (.962) with 25 of her 26 rounds on the season placing among the team's top four scores, including a career-best, even-par 71 in the first round of the Mountain West Conference championship.
Meet The Aztecs
- The 2002-03 San Diego State women's golf team returns two of its top three players from a year ago to a roster that seems to be loaded with potential.
- The Aztecs boast the talented junior duo of Sandy Kim and Shayna Miyajima who finished 13th and 14th on the MWC leaderboard in stroke average, respectively. SDSU's season-opening lineup at the Dick McGuire Invitational and the Price's Give 'Em Five Intercollegiate also features two seniors, Jennifer Hoene and Claire Riley, who each received starting nods in five tournaments last year. Adding to the season-opening mix is freshman Toni Lutz, a redshirt in 2001-02 who earned her way into the lineup with a solid team qualifying performance.
- Bolstering the SDSU roster are three other players who redshirted a year ago - Brittany Bailey, Jessica Delaney and Cameron MacFarland - as well as senior Lauren McHugh, who will likely redshirt this season.
Last Year By The Numbers
- According to Golfstat's final rankings, San Diego State finished 63rd in the nation in 2001-02 with a 127-64 head-to-head rating. The Aztecs were 62nd in Golfweek's final rankings with a 77.3 rating and held a 76-68-1 overall record.
Head Coach Felicia Brown
- Head coach Felicia Brown is in her first season at the helm of th SDSU golf program after serving as assistant coach last season. A native San Diegan, Brown prepped locally at San Marcos High School before playing collegiately at Arizona. She boasts professional playing and teaching experience on the Players' West Golf Tour and the LPGA teaching division, respectively.
Fall 2002 Stroke Averages Avg. Rds.Shayna Miyajima* 79.00 3Sandy Kim* 79.33 3Claire Riley* 82.33 3Toni Lutz* 86.33 3Jennifer Hoene* 86.00 1* Starter at the Price's Give 'Em Five Intercollegiate