AMY WINKLER/Arizona Daily Wildcat Arizona junior Laura Myerscough putts earlier this season during the Wildcat Invitational at The Raven. Myerscough is one of three Wildcats in the top five at the Pacific 10 Conference championships after one round.

After the opening day of the 2002 Pac-10 Conference Women's Golf Championships, the Wildcats sit atop the leader board.

Seeking its fifth title in the last six years, the Arizona women's golf team is in first place after posting an opening-round score of 5-over-par 293 yesterday. Four of the five Wildcats in the lineup are in the Top 10, individually.

"I am very pleased with the way our girls played today," head coach Greg Allen said. "They responded to the pressure of postseason play by posting some great scores. We just need to keep this up for 36 more holes."

Trailing the defending champions in second place is Southern California, which sits four strokes back of Arizona after a first-round score of 9-over 297. California is in third place at 11-over-par 299, while Stanford is in fourth at 12-over 300.

UA sophomore Lorena Ochoa sits one stroke back of leaders Choe Yvonne of UCLA and Mikaela Parmlid of USC after an even-par round of 72 - her 11th consecutive round of par or better.

The sophomore from Guadalajara, Mexico, has won seven consecutive tournaments and 11 in her career, including the 2001 Pacific 10 Conference Championship.

Also in the top five for Arizona are senior Cristina Baena and junior Laura Myerscough, who are tied for fifth at 1-over-par 73. Baena continued her resurgence after missing the entire fall season due to wrist surgery as she posted her lowest single-round score of the season. The fourth-year senior began both nines well, making birdies on holes No. 1 and No. 10.

The freshman duo of Mar Garcia and Miriam Kraschinski completed the Arizona lineup yesterday with scores of 3-over-par 75 and 9-over-par 81, respectively.

Garcia, who sits tied for 10th place after the first 18 holes of the tournament, missed action in the Wildcats' final regular season tournament due to stiffness in her shoulder. Kraschinski is tied for 40th.

"The success we had on the 10th hole gave us some momentum after the girls made the turn," Allen said. "That helped us to keep focused and continue to concentrate as we finished the round."

Second-round action at Walla Walla Country Club begins today with tee times starting at 9 a.m.