After a bout with final exams this week, the UC Irvine women’s golf team will take on a battle of another kind next Monday when they host the fifth annual Anteater Invitational at Dove Canyon Country Club. The tournament features 15 teams, including current Big West schools Cal Poly, Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside, along with future conference member UC Davis. Action commences with 36 holes on Monday and concludes with 18 holes on Tuesday.
The UCI women's program received one vote in the latest Golf World/NGCA Division I Coaches' Poll and is the highest rated Big West school in the Golfweek Team Ratings at No. 34. The Anteaters have put forth a couple of impressive performances in the spring so far, finishing 2nd out of 18 teams at the Kitahara Fresno State Invitational and fourth out of 14 teams at the Spartan Invitational. Junior Selaneé Henderson became the school's all-time leader in tournament victories with four after earning medalist honors with a six-under 210 (69-71-70).
Cal Poly is coming off a strong showing at the Bobcat Desert Classic two weeks ago. The Mustangs tied Sacramento State for the top score in the 20-team field, but lost the team title in a playoff to the Hornets. The Mustangs tied for fifth place in their first tournament of the spring, the Lady Braveheart Challenge.
Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of number of tournaments they have competed in. The Matadors return to the links for just their second spring tournament when they participate in the Anteater Invitational. The Highlanders have been the busiest of all the Big West schools with four tournaments under their belt. UCR tied for fifth in its most recent outing at the Bobcat Desert Classic.
UCI won the Anteater Invitational in 2005 and finished second last year to Brigham Young.
Long Beach State, at No. 62 in the Golfweek rankings, finished two spots behind the Anteaters at the Kitahara Invitational in late February, posting a score of 605 to UCI's 598. Junior Kay Hoey won the fourth individual title of her career as she carded a two-round score of 146. The 49ers travel to the PING/ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., which runs from Friday, March 30 through Sunday, April 1. The 49ers look to improve on their last performance, a 14th place finish at the UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational.
The men's side features a light week of competition as teams gear up for the prestigious Ogio Pacific Coast Intercollegiate on April 2-3 in Arroyo Grande, Calif. UC Santa Barbara, which hosts that tournament, will try to sharpen its game with an appearance at the Stevinson Ranch Invitational next Monday and Tuesday.
While Long Beach State, UC Irvine and Pacific are idle next week, three other Big West schools swing into action at the Cuesta Title Intercollegiate hosted by Big West member Cal Poly. Cal State Northridge and UC Riverside join the Mustangs for the two-day tournament that begins on Thursday, March 29. Cal Poly has finished in the top five in two of its four previous tournaments and has featured at least one golfer in the top 10 of all four tournaments. The Highlanders came in seventh place among 17 teams as the host of the Braveheart Classic nearly three weeks ago. Both UCR and CSUN will have completed two tournaments in a six-day stretch with their participation in the Cuesta Title and Pacific Coast tournaments.