March 16, 2010
Complete 2009-10 Statistics | Q&A With Miki Ueoka | 
Extended Photo Gallery @ SJSU
By, Brian Elser
SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The Santa Clara women's golf team will continue their spring campaign later this month at the Jack Nicklaus designed Dove Canyon Country Club, the site of the 2010 UCI Anteater Invitational. It will be the Broncos final tournament before the WCC Championships April 19-21.
"The team is showing great promise this spring season," said head coach Polly Schulze. "Our scores are starting to reflect the efforts they have been putting in, in regards to a stronger mental game. Our mental game consultant Rick Sessinghaus has been doing fabulous work with the team and I am starting to see that come to fruition in competition."
As of late...
The Broncos finished well ahead of opponents ranked higher in recent tournaments. Santa Clara bested Nevada and Colorado State in the Juli Inkster Spartan Invite on March 8-9, and will be gaining ground in the Golfweek.com collegiate rankings. Junior Miki Ueoka and sophomore Tammy Surtees led the way for the Broncos with an average score of 77 over the three rounds. Senior Erin Sullivan wasn't too far behind with an average score of 77.33.
Program record round & tournament...
Santa Clara fired off a sizzling 292 to open the Fresno State Lexus Classic on Mar. 1-2. This is the lowest round in program history for the Broncos. They were led by junior Miki Ueoka who shot a three-under 69; senior Erin Sullivan with an even-par 72, junior-transfer Lauren Oh with a two-over 74, and sophomore Tammy Surtees and Jamie Nonaka tied with a five-over par 77. "My job as a coach had never been easier than on that day," said head coach Polly Schulze. "Each player was so focused on the moment, and working their pre and post shot routines like it was second nature to them. I was so proud to see them so composed out there." It was only the fourth-time in program history that the Broncos have broken the 300 scoring mark. It was also the lowest 36 and 54 hole tournament scores that the Broncos have ever had. Even beating the 54 hole mark by a whopping eight shots! They also bested three teams that are ranked higher in the national rankings: Nevada, Sacramento State, and Cal-Poly. They even tied Top-50 team UC Irvine. It was indeed a tournament of records for the Broncos.
Ueoka heating up...
Junior Miki Ueoka - a 2009 NCAA Tournament qualifier - is heating up as of late. She has finished in the top-10 in two of the last three tournaments and looks to keep that streak going later this month. Ueoka fired off the second lowest round in program history at the Fresno State Lexus Classic (69), and tied for seventh overall at the Peg Barnard Invitational Feb. 12-14, in a field packed with some of the nation's best teams and players. Seven of the 11 teams that competed at Stanford are currently ranked among the top-45 nationally.
"This is just the beginning of a new team standard for future players to build upon," said head coach Polly Schulze on Ueoka quest to again qualify for the NCAA's. "I am very excited about where we are and I feel very good about the future of the program. The team is coming off of two very good tournaments and we are looking forward to taking our confidence in to our next event in Irvine."
