Golf grabs fifth place at PING/ASU tourney

The Arizona women's golf team earned its seventh top-five finish in eight events this season Sunday as the team took fifth place at the PING/ASU Invitational. The Wildcats carded a final round 292 to close the 54-hole tournament at 22-over-par 886, 10 strokes behind tournament champion California.

For the second time in the three-round tournament, Arizona posted its best team score of the spring season. Sunday's 4-over-par performance is the squad's best mark since Oct. 20 when it shot 292 in the final round of the Stanford-Pepsi Intercollegiate. The team's three-round score of 886 (+22) is its second-best tournament score of the season, eclipsed only by an 18-over-par showing at the Auburn Tiger-Derby Invitational in November.

California claimed the team title with a three-day score of 12-over-par 876. UCLA's Charlotte Mayorkas took individual medalist honors, finishing at 7-under-par 209. She was one of only three golfers in the field to complete the tournament under par. Texas finished in second place, one shot behind California. UCLA and Southern California took third and fourth places, respectively.

Sunday's final round saw Arizona sophomore Miriam Kraschinski scorch the Karsten Golf Course with a 4-under-par 68. The score is Kraschinski's first career round in the 60s and matches the best single-round score of any Arizona individual this season. The sophomore from Whitianga, New Zealand, made five birdies and 10 pars on the first 15 holes of the day before bogeying the 153-yard, par-3 16th hole. She made par on the final two holes of the day to finish at 4-under. Kraschinski's sizzling round moved her into a tie for 21st place at 9-over-par 225.

Top-rated in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index, Arizona's Erica Blasberg registered her sixth consecutive top-10 finish. The freshman tied for sixth place with a 54-hole score of 2-over-par 218. She closed the event with a final-round 73 (+1).

Joining Kraschinski in a tie for 21st place was senior Anne Lee, who completed the tournament with a final-round 75 (+3). Lee has finished in the top 25 four times in the 2002-2003 season. Freshman Cassandra Kirkland earned a tie for 35th place with a score of 11-over-par 227. Senior Laura Myerscough completed the Arizona lineup and tied for 44th place at 13-over-par 229.

Sophomore Mar Garcia and freshman Whitney Welch competed as individuals, tying for 60th and 63rd places, respectively.

Hoops recruit named Parade All-American

Ndubi Ebi UA hoops recruit

UA basketball recruit Ndubi Ebi, who averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks per game last season for Westbury Christian high school in Houston, was named a first-team Parade High School All-American last week.

Ebi was named among nine other first-team honorees, including national high-school player of the year LeBron James of St.Vincent-St. Mary's high school of Akron, Ohio.

The Parade All-America honor is thought to be among the top national awards in high school athletics.

UA Freshmen Hassan Adams and Andre Iguodala were both named second-team Parade All-Americans last year, while sophomore Channing Frye was a fourth-team selection in 2001.

The 6-foot-10 Ebi is expected to contend for playing time right away, and could help to form a formidable front line for the Wildcats next season, alongside the 6-foot-10 Frye and 6-foot-8 Iguodala.