Hungry 'Cats look to rebound at NCAA regional tournament

The women's golf team starts its second test of the postseason Thursday as it begins play at the 2003 NCAA Women's Golf East Regional as the number two seed.

After a disappointing second place finish in the Pac-10 Championships last week, ending a streak of three consecutive years with the win, head coach Greg Allen continues to stay optimistic as his crew gets ready to head to the east coast for the first time since November.

"Everybody is confident," Allen said. "We're disappointed about the Pac-10s, but we're ready to move on and get to the NCAA Championships."

The runner-up finish in the Wildcats' first postseason test had as much contested off the course as it did on it.

Two players for Arizona suffered injuries during the week of the

Pac-10 Championships, halting any chance of making a charge at 100 percent.

"Laura (Myerscough) had to go the emergency room because of a sudden case of shin splints," Allen said. "It ended up being tendonitis in her right foot, and when she's not practicing this week, she's been wearing a walking cast around campus. Also, Mariam (Kraschinski) closed her right index finger in a car door, but now we're all healthy, and we're ready to go up there and do what we know we can do."

All year the Wildcats have seemed to lean on each other, and when things have gone good for one person, it's gone good for everybody, so with the improved putting of a few players on the team in the last week, Allen thinks it could spread to the rest of the squad.

"Laura is putting with a new putter and is extremely confident," he said. "Inside 10 feet she feels really comfortable and with Mariam rolling the ball like she did at the first of the season, it can really build confidence. Putting is contagious, and hopefully if one person starts making putts, the whole team will."

While most freshmen just hope to make the post-season squad, Erica Blasberg will be leading her team into North Carolina.

The Pac-10 Player of the Year hasn't finished out of the top three this spring, and said the team is really committed to these next two tournaments.

"Everybody is working really hard," Blasberg said. "The whole team is confident going into regionals and nationals, and we're really excited about these next two weeks."

The Wildcats, ranked second, are only preceded by Duke, the same team Arizona lost to in last year's National Championship, but Allen doesn't seem worried by any team in his bracket.

"Vanderbilt is the only team in the bracket that has beaten us this year," the Murray State graduate said. "Even having the toughest bracket, we're confident about what we can do."

Out of 27 teams, the Wildcats will have to finish in the top eight to get a bid to the NCAA Championship.

Play gets under way on Thursday at Salem Glen Country Club in Salem, North Carolina.