For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 1, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS, LADY BRONCS TO NATIONAL MINORITY CHAMPIONSHIPS

EDINBURG, TX-One team will be trying to repeat as champion and the other will be trying to win the title for the first time when The University of Texas-Pan American's golf teams participate at the National Minority Golf Championships at the Professional Golfers of America North Course at Port St. Lucie, Florida this weekend.

The Broncs are the defending men's champs, while the Lady Broncs were runners-up last season. The tournament begins Friday, and features one round each day through Sunday.

The men's field includes Alabama A&M, Alcorn State, Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M, Hampton, South Carolina State, Tennessee State and Texas Southern. The Lady Broncs will compete against Bethune-Cookman as well as representatives from Chicago State, Clark Atlanta, Gannon, Spelman, Tennessee State and Texas Southern.

"It's always fun going into a tournament and knowing that you're the defending champion," said UTPA Head Men's Coach Mark Gaynor. "They guys know they should be able to have the opportunity to win again, and it's a fun situation to go into. The competition will be tougher this year. Bethune-Cookman is having a much better year, and so is Florida A&M. We'll have to play well to win, and it will be a tough tournament for us. The course is always in great shape, it's similar to some of the courses we've played on, and the greens are more undulated, so putting will definitely be a key. We need everybody to play well."

The women will be trying to dethrone Bethune-Cookman. "They've won the tournament for the last seven years," said UTPA Head Women's Coach Barb Odale. "Bethune-Cookman is ranked ahead of us, but if we play as well as we can, we can beat them. The course is shorter than most NCAA courses, which are 5800 yards. The course is more like 5600, and our players are looking forward to it. A key for us is being able to get up and down, which is chipping and putting. You are going to miss some greens in regulation, but the good players can get up and down if they miss the green. It seems like whenever the temperature is 70 degrees or above, we play better, so I'm optimistic."

The tournament will mark the final golf action of the season for UTPA.

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