Team aims to finish among the top three
By Daily Bruin Staff
April 22, 2001 9:00 p.m.
Women’s Golf Pac-10
Championships Today-Wednesday All Day Karsten Golf Course
Tempe, AZ
By Michelle Coppolella
Daily Bruin Contributor
The fact that No. 2 Arizona has captured six consecutive Pac-10
championships doesn’t phase the No. 23 UCLA women’s
golf team.
Neither does the fact that No. 3 USC, No. 5 Stanford, and No. 12
Arizona State are salivating at the opportunity to challenge the
defending champions and add a Pac-10 championship to their
universities’ names.
Have the Bruins lost their minds? Not likely.
Their focus lies not on capturing the title in the Pac-10
Championships today through Wednesday at Arizona State’s
Karsten Course, but on a more feasible goal.
“We’re in, without a doubt, the strongest conference
in the nation,” Head Coach Carrie Leary said. “We
obviously want to win, but realistically it’s going to be
tough. Our goal is to finish in the top three like we did last
year. If we do, we would walk out very proud of our
effort.”
Experienced seniors Leilani Bagby and Laura Moffat are expected
to lead UCLA in the tournament, while vibrant underclassmen Melissa
Martin, Saki Uechi and Gina Umeck will contribute strong games that
they have delivered throughout the year.
But the Bruins must not only battle other universities to finish
in the top-three ““ they must also overcome their own
adversities.
“I would call what the girls are feeling nervous
optimism,” Leary said. “We feel that although we
haven’t really played that well this spring and our finishes
haven’t shown it, we’ve made progress.
“It’s mental more than anything else. We’re in
position but we just have to overcome self-doubt and realize we are
a dominating force in our conference. We just need to step
up.”
