Feb. 21, 2009
ORLANDO, Fla. - The UCF women's golf team is ready to get back to action this weekend when the Knights participate in the Edwin Watts / Kiawah Island Classic Sunday through Tuesday. Hosted by the College of Charleston, play in the enormous 43-team field will be held at both the 6,009-yard par-72 Cougar Point course and at the 5,907-yard par-72 Oak Point course.
UCF head coach Emilee Klein is excited for the start of the spring season.
"We look really good," she said. "The girls are playing great. We have had some wonderful practices. We're all really excited about Kiawah and getting started. We're ready. I'm really glad it's starting because we're getting a little bit antsy. We've been playing so well at practice and we just want to get out there and show everybody how well we've been playing."
One Knight who may be more eager than most is freshman Elisa Aoki (Bradenton, Fla.) who enrolled at UCF in January and will make her collegiate debut this weekend.
"She's a very strong player," Klein said. "She's pushing the rest of the girls because her scores have been really low. She has seemed to fit in really well. She's enjoying being here and enjoying school. She's playing great. I think the transition has gone pretty well."
Bolstered by a pair of proven seniors in Stephanie Connelly (Pasadena, Md.) and May Tomimbang (Kissimmee, Fla.), the Knights are poised this weekend to begin their march potentially to a second-straight NCAA Regional appearance and beyond.
UCF is presently ranked 39th in the nation by Golfweek and will face some other top teams in this spring season-opening event. Amongst the other competitors in the Kiawah Island field are No. 25 Oregon, No. 28 Florida and No. 35 Ole Miss.