April 14, 2006
ORLANDO - The UCF women's golf team will have its first opportunity to compete for a Conference USA title when play gets underway Sunday at the 2006 Conference USA Women's Golf Championship at Ironwood Golf & Country Club in Greenville, N.C. Ten C-USA schools will be competing for the title and an automatic NCAA Regional berth. The field will play 18 holes per day through Tuesday on Ironwood's Lee Trevino Signature Golf Course.
"We've been gearing up for this event all spring," UCF coach Emilee Klein said. "With a conference title and n NCAA berth on the line, this is a really big week for us. We're capable of posting some good rounds and if we can do so three days in a row, we have a good chance to bring home some hardware Tuesday."
Ashley Grier is heading into the event playing her best golf of the year. She is coming off a runner-up finish at the Ryder Florida Women's Collegiate Championship two weeks ago in Miami Lakes, Fla.. Prior to that, she registered a third-place finish at the Waterlefe Invitational in Bradenton, Fla. en route to earning C-USA Golfer of the Week honors. Grier has registered three top-5 finishes during the spring semester.
Holly Boot leads the team with a 78.23 stroke average, which is a full three strokes lower than her average from a year ago. She has a pair of top-20 finishes this year, including a career-best tie for seventh at the Waterlefe Invitational.
Kristy McLaughlin made a smooth transition from junior college to Division I and is currently just behind Boot with a 78.39 stroke average. She has three top-20s this year with her best performance being an eighth-place showing at the Cardinal Cup in the fall.
Jessica Trein missed a good portion of the spring with an injury, but has been a steady competitor since returning to the lineup and Annabel Silk earned the right to compete in the C-USA Championship by winning a three-way qualifying battle. It will be her fourth event of the year. She is coming off a good showing two weeks ago at the state championship.