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For Immediate
Release: Thursday, October 3, 2002 LADY BRONC GOLFERS HEADED TO ILLINOIS EDINBURG, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American women's golf team will look to build on last week's 12th place finish at the Notre Dame Invitational as they head to Huntley, Illinois, for the Northern Illinois Invitational Sunday and Monday. The tournament will be the only one on the Lady Broncs' schedule that is only 36 holes, as opposed to the usual 54 holes. Texas-Pan American Head Coach Barb Odale thinks that the length of the tournament could be significant. "We will need a strong opening round," said Odale. "It will make every shot count that much more. This is like a long distance runner in a 40-yard dash." Odale thinks that her team should be very competitive this weekend, in a field that will include familiar faces from last weekend's invitational at Notre Dame. Western Michigan came in second at Notre Dame, while Ball State finished just three shots ahead of UTPA's 996. Also in the field will be California-Riverside, Creighton, Dartmouth, DePauw, Eastern Illinois, Loyola, Northern Illinois, Truman State, and Western Illinois. "I look to for us to be in the top five," said Odale. "If we play well, we could end up as one of the top two." Odale expects strong performances from freshmen Stefanie Maynard (Pflugerville, TX/ Pflugerville HS) and Nikki Boychuk (Conroe, Texas/Willis HS). Maynard finished tied for 58th at Notre Dame with a 54-hole total of 252, while Boychuk tied for 61st with a 54-hole total of 253. "Stefanie should come back strong to prove herself," said Odale. "We've worked on fixing her swing this week in practice. Nikki has gained confidence each tournament, so I expect solid play from her. Last week, she improved over each round." Following the Northern Illinois Invitational, the Lady Broncs will return to competition when they travel to the Sam Houston State Invitational on November 4th. WG-06-03100302
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