Golf teams set to swing into action

Arizona Daily Wildcat Marisa Baena

If preseason rankings translated to postseason success, the Arizona men's and women's golf teams would be sitting pretty come next spring.

Yesterday the 1997-98 preseason Mastercard Collegiate Golf Rankings put the women at #2 and the Wildcat men at #4 in the country.

Despite this, UA head coach Rick LaRose said, "We don't put too much stock into preseason rankings."

The women are ranked behind defending National Champion Arizona State.

"I think we're number two only because ASU is defending champs and they added a player," LaRose said.

The men's squad trailed Oklahoma State, Clemson and Wake Forest.

"I was a little surprised, but pleasantly," LaRose said of the men's ranking.

Individually, Wildcat junior Marisa Baena is the top-ranked women's player. She has been the National Player of the Year the past two seasons, and is favored to make it three in a row this year.

Senior Heather Graff also made the top 25, coming in 18th.

Senior Rory Sabbatini is the only male individual to make the top 25 with a sixth place ranking.

The Wildcat women start their season Sept. 12-14 at the Rolex NCAA Preview in Madison, Wisc., while the men swing into action on Sept. 19-20 at the W.H. Tucker Intercollegiate in Albuquerque, NM.