University of San Francisco Athletics

"Tee it high and let if fly!" This is what Head Coach Scott Syms of the Dons golf team tells his players before every match.This year's team, although only two years old, has responded well to Sym's slogan. USF fielded its first women's golf team last year. Last year's Athletic Director, Father Robert Sunderland S.J., said that Coach Syms had been given, "The important responsibility of building our new women's golf program from the ground up."

Upwards they have gone. The women started this season with a bang by finishing third at the University of Wyoming Jacoby Collegiate Invitational on September 16-17.

Sophomore Jody Banovich finished eighth followed by freshman Leta Brown at 10th, juniors Juli Cristopher and Lisa Carriel came in 19th and 21st respectively.

The Lady Dons hit a slight snag in their upswing, placing eighth at the Oregon and 14th at the Washington Invitationals but were back on par most recently with an impressive second-place finish at San Diego State's Aztec Invitational. Bonavich, a sophomore from Santa Rosa, won the invitational swinging a consistent 78 on both days. Bonavich said she went into the invitational feeling positive about her play and she performed to her potential, recording her first ever collegiate first place finish.

Rounding out the team were strong finishes for Tricia Carriell (seventh), ninth for Juli Cristopher, 14th for Tonya Myers and 21st for Dena Devenale.

Leta Brown, a newcomer from Newberg, Oregon, said, "We started strong had a little trouble, but now we are ready for the Spring." The whole team seems to be geared up for the Spring part of their season as they travel to Hawaii, Oregon and host their own invitational. Brown said that their last tournament, the California Invitational held at Stanford will be "the most important."

The players have referred to their wealth of potential this year even though the program is only in its second season. Bonavich referred to this half of the season stating that the team, "Did not play to their potential but they have a lot of talent and they just have to make it work for them." Bonavich should be the one to lead this team into their most successful season ever. Myers, who played against Bonavich in high school and now with her here, stated, "she (Bonavich] has worked really hard and she is doing everything well."

In reference to the San Diego Invitational, Myers commented that Bonavich "kept her head on her shoulders in the face of tough competition and did really well."

The rest of the team and USF can assume that their last tournament success will tide them over until the Spring where all the players expect even more top finishes. Coach Syms advice of letting the ball fly seems to have inspired great results from his team thus far and expectations are high for continuing success and improvement for the Spring (USFFoghorn).