In the Landfall Tradition Tournament -- the last tournament the Virginia women's golf team competed in this fall -- the Cavaliers took first place after winning a tiebreaker against Michigan State. The team ended the fall season ranked sixth in the nation by Golfweek, thanks to the tournament victory, which was the first in the four-year history of the program.
Coming off this strong finish in the fall season, Virginia opens its spring season today with the first day of the Wildcat Invitational in Tucson, Ariz.
"We're out here in Tucson, and will be competing against definitely some of the top teams of the country in this tournament," Virginia coach Jan Mann said. "The competition will be extremely intense, but I don't think the girls are worried about who else is playing and what else is happening. They're just going out to see how well they perform. I think in this tournament, we'll have a lot of success, and we'll have a lot of success in the season."
The win in the Landfall Tradition helped to keep players focused during the offseason and has the whole team optimistic about the upcoming season.
"Starting this season coming off our win in the fall, we're definitely excited about this season," senior golfer Leah Wigger said.
For the Cavaliers to continue their winning ways, Wigger, a two-time All-American, will need to continue leading the way. During the break between seasons, Wigger won the 2007 Harder Hall Women's Invitational in Sebring, Fla. The tournament was an invitation-only event that included 132 of the best female amateur golfers in the nation. Wigger finished the fall season ranked 12th in the Golfweek standings, after leading the Cavaliers with a 72.25 stroke average. Wigger is just one of six seniors on the roster who are helping younger golfers adjust to the college level.
"I think our seniors have done a tremendous job being leaders for the team," Mann said. "Our seniors have done a great job preparing the team."
One of the younger players who has benefited from the senior leadership of the Cavaliers is sophomore Jennie Arseneault, who was ranked 15th by Golfweek. With Arseneault and Wigger leading the way, the Cavaliers hope to qualify for the NCAA Championships at the end of May in Daytona Beach, Fla. Qualifying for the championships would be meaningful for the current seniors, who formed the inaugural class of the women's golf program. Also, it would be the last time Mann directs the Cavaliers, as she intends to retire at the end of this season.
"This is definitely a special season for us in that we're graduating our first group of players ever, and I'm going to be retiring at the end of the season," Mann said. "So, we are making the most of each moment."
In addition to the Wildcat Invitational, which will be played today and tomorrow, Virginia will compete in three tournaments before the playoffs, including the LSU/Cleveland Classic Invitational in Baton Rouge, La. March 16-18. The ACC Championships will take place in mid-April in Charlotte, N.C., and the NCAA Regionals will be held in early May. The season will conclude with the NCAA Championships in late May.
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