Sept. 12, 2008

After wrapping up the 2007-08 season with a second place finish at the National Minority Championships, the Lady Broncs look to begin the trek for the title all over again as they enter the 2008-09 season.

With the loss of only three Lady Broncs, the women's golf program looks strong and ready to get back into action.

"I think this is going to be a great season. We have fresh faces on the team and the girls came back dedicated and excited to be here and wanting to play well. I'm looking for them to do great things," said Director of Men and Women's Golf Ofelia Lopez.

The women's golf program competed in a total of 10 contests throughout the fall of 2007 and the spring of `08. The women will play in one less contest in the 2008-09 season as they will compete in three tournaments during the fall and six during the spring season.

The squad will consist of two seniors, one junior, three sophomores and two incoming freshman.

Camey returns as one of the top performing Lady Broncs on the squad. Last season, Camey competed in all four contests during the fall season and all six contests in the spring. Camey finished the season with a 79.9 strokes average with her best finish at the Jack Brown Memorial Invitational where she placed first. Camey also led her team to a first place finish at that same tournament.

"After placing second at Minority last year, Ale came back wanting it more than ever. She is pushing herself and everyone else on the team to play better," says Lopez.

Canadian Bronwyn Sandberg rounds out the senior crew for the women's golf program. Sandberg finished last season with a 76.7 strokes average with a low round of 74 in the third round of the Islander Spring Classic.

"Bronwyn is playing very well. When she came back from Canada this summer she stepped up her game. She's practicing really hard and it's going really well. She's loving how the team is mixing so well together," added Lopez. Sandberg's best finish was fourth-place at the Jack Brown Memorial Invitational hosted by Texas A&M International. In two rounds of play, the UTPA senior tallied a score of 159.

Donning the Bronc green and orange for her third season is valley native Rebecca De Leon. De Leon competed in all but one contest during her sophomore campaign. The junior finished her sophomore season with an 81.3 stroke average with a low round of 75 at the ORU Shootout hosted by Oral Roberts University.

"Rebecca is the team captain this year. She's been through some swing changes and she's been working and grinding and putting it together but on any given day she's dynamite," said Lopez.

In just her second season with the Lady Broncs, sophomore Haley Hocott, out of San Antonio, Texas, has done well for herself. In her first season, Hocott recorded a 77.3 stroke average with a low round of 72 at the UAB Fall Beach Blast. At that tournament, Hocott tallied a two-round score of 149 en route to a ninth-place finish.

"Haley is one of my top returning performers along with Ale (Mariale) this year. With the experience she gained last year, she remains in the top and playing well. I'm looking for her to do well this season," said Lopez about Hocott.

Hocott's best finish was in the spring at the Jack Brown Memorial Invitational where she tied for second and helped lead her team to a first place finish. Her second best finish came at the National Minority Championships with fifth-place honors.

And what squad wouldn't be complete without your freshman class. Lopez signed Maria Jose Camey, who is little sister to senior Mariale Camey, and Sarah Kothny out of Kingwood, Texas.

"The two girls I brought in are two very hard workers that mesh well with the team," said Lopez.

In her junior year of high school, Kothny placed fourth at the 5A State Championships. She was part of a team that received District Champs accolades all four years of high school and was a regional qualifier as well.

With the 2008-09 season almost underway, the Lady Broncs look to having an outstanding season. The chemistry amongst the girls will be what keeps the team together and the deciding factor of how the season will turn out.

"The girls are having fun. They have all the team camaraderie that you're supposed to have and they generally care about each other. They all practice hard and they've all come back dedicated because they want to play well," says Lopez about the Lady Broncs.

UTPA Sports Information