Feb. 9, 2007

By Alan Wiederhold

SAN MARCOS - As the Texas State women's golf team tees off its spring 2007 golf schedule next week, there are already signs that the Bobcats will be improving upon a fairly difficult fall campaign. For one thing, they start with a head coach in place.

"I came in right in the middle of the season," head coach Mike Akers said. "I was here literally two days before (our) first tournament."

Akers described his first four months at the helm as "non-stop" work, including developing a relationship and trust with his team. However, he said that the future is already looking bright, and with the talent he has, there is nowhere to go but up.

"Looking at this tournament schedule and the players that we have, I feel that we should be competitive this spring," Akers said.

Texas State enters the season ranked 143rd in the nation, and Akers sees plenty of opportunities to improve upon that ranking. The Bobcats will have their first opportunity when the team travels to the McNeese Cowgirl Invitational next week, which Akers says features a very strong field.

With two returning all-Southland Conference selections on their roster and a young squad (only one upperclassmen on the seven-player roster), the Bobcats are positioning themselves to take their place among the conference elite this year and for years to come.

Sophomore Christine Brijalba headlines the core group of returning Bobcat golfers. The El Paso native was the lone Bobcat selected to the All-Southland Conference First Team after finishing 11th at the conference championship with a three-round score of 239. She posted two tournament victories during her freshmen campaign and led the `Cats with a 77.38 stroke average.

While this fall was an uphill battle for the entire program, Brijalba continued adding career highlights to her player resumé. She posted a season-best 75 in the opening round of the UNT Women's classic and closed the fall season with a 76 at the final round of the Ellingson Fall Classic in Huntsville.

Jennifer Crawford is also expected to make an impact during the spring season. She joined Brijalba on the list of All-SLC performers last year, earning Second Team honors. The sophomore from Sugar Land tied for second place at the 2006 Southland Conference Tournament with a career-best 228 (73-76-79).

During the first portion of her sophomore campaign, Crawford played in all four tournaments that the Bobcats competed in. Her 16th-place finish at Louisiana-Monroe's Fred Marx Invitational was the highlight of her fall season.

Akers said that his whole team has been improving throughout the off-season as they prepare for the spring campaign, and that Brijalba and Crawford are among the players aiming to return to top form. "Christine Brijalba is...the most dynamic player we have," Akers said. "She has worked real hard over the offseason to get her game back in shape."

Of Crawford, Akers noted that she is "working hard to get her game back to what she is capable of."

Akers is also expecting big things from Amy Glazier. A freshman out of Southlake Carroll, Glazier posted the best per-round average on the team during the fall, which included a third-place finish at the Fred Marx Invitational. Illness kept her out of two tournaments, and Akers is looking forward to the prospect of having Glazier play a full schedule this spring.

The Bobcats' lone senior, Anessa Thompson, is described by Akers as a "very steady player," and should continue to be a contributor to the Texas State squad in her final semester. Thompson averaged 79.5 strokes per round in the fall and recorded two Top 20 finishes.

Freshman Briana Novian and sophomores Sarah Glass and Laci Weeks complete the Bobcat roster, and will be competing for spots on the traveling roster as the season progresses.

Akers says that his team appears to be putting the difficult fall season behind them and expects a triumphant spring campaign. He is aiming to have his team steadily improve as the conference tournament approaches.

"I'm noticing in practice that their games are showing some life," he said. "Obviously, the goal is to peak right there in the beginning of April, and hopefully win at our home tournament (which) would vault us into conference."

The final month of the season begins with the CenturyTel Bobcat Classic on April 2-3 at Plum Creek Golf Club in Kyle. The Bobcats will also play host to the Southland Conference Championship April 9-11 at Horseshoe Bay Resort northwest of Austin.

Women's Golf Fundraiser Slated for March
The Texas State women's golf team will play host to a fundraiser tournament Sunday, March 4th at Wolfdancer Golf Club.

The course is part of the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort which opened in June of last year. It was voted a Top 10 course by Golf Magazine.

The Arthur Hills-designed course is like playing three courses in one as its holes traverse three distinctive ecosystems - rolling prairie land, a heavily-wooded ridgeline and a river valley dotted with native pecan trees. Created by Hills, a legendary golf designer, the 7,205-yard, par 72 Wolfdancer Golf Club makes the most of the terrain's natural beauty.

Entry fee for the tournament is $250 per player or $1,000 per four-person team. The entry fee covers green fee, cart, range, lunch, a tee gift and more.

For more information contact Texas State golf Coach Mike Akers at (512) 245-2973 or via email at ma28@txstate.edu.

Bobcats at Wolfdancer Texas State Women's Golf Team Fundraiser