Coach anticipates bright season on courses

By Ireet Kaplan
Daily Forty Niner
 

Going into her fifth year as the women's golf coach, Sue Ewart is confident about the 49ers prospects for the upcoming season.

"This year's team is going to be more competitive than before.  Three of our new players have competed internationally. Our new players average in the mid-70's, and this will give us a good solid core to work from," Ewart said.

"We are looking forward to cracking the top 50 in the National rankings."

The team had a solid season last year, taking third at the 2000 Big West Conference Women's Golf Championships and ninth at the Peg Barnard California Collegiate Classic.

"We had some outstanding plays last semester -- we had others that could have been better," Ewart said.

Four new players are joining the 49ers this season: Mira Lee, Alexis Dunning, Jenise Alastra and Carla Legaspi.

"We have a lot of strength because of each player's academic abilities, and international competitive backgrounds, which will serve the team well for the upcoming season," Ewart said. internationally. "

Fredrika Schlasberg, a fifth-year senior, is working along side of the team as a student assistant coach.  Schlasberg is helping the team prepare for the upcoming tournaments against schools such as Pepperdine, UCLA, and USC, who will provide some of the team's toughest competition.

The golf team practices and competes year round.  Since there is no practice facility on campus, the team practices at various off-campus locations in Long Beach, including the Virginia Country Club and El Dorado golf course.

"We are hoping to build a practice facility on campus so the girls won't have to rush to practices after their classes," Ewart said.

The golf team will be traveling to different places throughout this semester, including Oregon, Arizona, Washington and Hawaii.

"We have five tournaments scheduled in the fall, and six tournaments scheduled in the spring," Ewart said.

The team practices three times a week, plays twice a week, and works on short games almost every day.  The 49ers' main strength, Ewart said, is that they are "solid strikers."

"We are working on using more depth in the short game area, and learning a larger variety of shots around the green." Ewart said.