Feb. 19, 2004
SAN DIEGO -
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* The Aztecs kick off the 2004 spring season at one of the nation's top tournaments, the Wildcat Invitational hosted by the University of Arizona. The 54-hole tournament begins on Monday, Feb. 23 with 18 holes and finishes with single rounds on both Tuesday and Wednesday at the Arizona National Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona. The course is 6,134 yards with a par of 72.
* The tournament field will be the toughest test yet for the young Aztecs. Out of the 14 teams entered, 11 are in Golfweek's top 40 in the nation, including four teams in the top 10. UCLA and Arizona lead the pack ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Defending champion Pepperdine is 19th in the latest rankings, the sixth-ranked team in the field. SDSU enters at No. 35, its highest position of the 2003-04 season, and is the 10th-highest ranked team in the field.
Wildcat Starters
* This week's starting lineup includes one four-year senior and four newcomers, including two freshmen. Shayna Miyajima is the only player in the top five with more than four tournaments of experience at SDSU. Miyajima enters with a 75.00 scoring average. Leading the team in scoring is freshman Jenna Wilson, who posted a 74.55 scoring averaging in the fall. Junior Heather MacRae played in each of the fall tournaments and led SDSU with three top 20 finishes. Freshman Jamie Oliver and sophomore Megan Mulhaupt finish out the roster after posting fall averages of 79.22 and 79.45, respectively.
Kim Still Resting
* SDSU will be without the services of senior Sandy Kim for the second straight tournament. Kim missed the Las Vegas Invitational, the final fall tournament, after injuring her back at the Aztec Invitational. It was the first tournament Sandy had missed in her four years at SDSU. She has been practicing with the team, but will not make the trip this week. In the fall, Kim posted a 75.86 average in seven rounds, the third lowest average for SDSU.
SDSU Spring Preview
* A chance to compete for a national championship is what every collegiate team aspires to do. However, in the 38-year history of women's golf at San Diego State no team has been able to reach the final step of the NCAA Champion-ships.
According to second-year head coach Felicia Brown, 2004 may be the year the Aztecs reach levels never before seen on Montezuma Mesa. Why the confidence? An experienced pair of seniors combined with a host of talented newcomers has given new life to Aztec women's golf.
Fantastic Frosh
* SDSU has the 20th-ranked freshman class according to Golfstat behind the strength of Jenna Wilson and Jamie Oliver. Wilson is the Aztecs top ranked player, overall, at No. 70 by Golfstat and No. 121 by Golfweek. Wilson has made a big impact on the Aztecs in her first season in collegiate golf. The Scotland native has already shot the top two rounds in SDSU history with scores of 67 and 68, set the 54-hole tournament scoring record with her five-under 211 at the Lady Aztec Invitational, and posted the second best 36-hole score in SDSU history when she fired a 145 to finish second at the Heather Farr Memorial. Oliver has played in all but one tournament on the year and has posted a 79.22 stroke average, including a top-20 finish at the Aztec Invitational.
Individual Spotlight
* Wilson is not the only Aztec ranked in Golfstat's top 100 individuals. Shayna Miyajima is ranked 97th by Golfstat.
* Heather MacRae led SDSU in scoring at the Las Vegas Showdown to finish the fall as she tied for sixth against a great field with a 3-over total of 219. MacRae posted two top-10 results and a team best three top-20 finishes during the fall season. After a slow start MacRae has been climbing the rankings and is currently 162nd in Golfstat's listings.
By The Numbers
* The Aztecs moved up to No. 35 in Golfweek's latest rankings with a rating of 75.37. Against the nation's 58th-ranked schedule, the Aztecs are 37-19 overall and 25-19 against Golfweek's Top 100.
* According to Golfstat's Division I team rankings, SDSU is the country's 41st-ranked team with a division record of 175-40.
Head Coach Felicia Brown
* Head coach Felicia Brown is in her second season at the helm of the SDSU golf program after serving as assistant coach in 2001-02. A native San Diegan, Brown prepped locally at San Marcos HS before playing collegiately at Arizona. She boasts professional playing experience on the Players' West Golf Tour and has had experience with the LPGA teaching division.