Nov. 18, 2002

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV men's golf team has signed two high school seniors to national letters of intent, head coach Dwaine Knight announced Monday.

Signing with the Rebels were Matt Edwards of Henderson and Andy Leadbetter of Orlando, Fla.

Edwards, a senior at Coronado High School, was the only player to shoot under par en route to capturing the Nevada individual state title last season. He also won the Sunrise Regional and was the Southern Nevada Golf Association's Player of the Year.

"We're very pleased that someone of Matt's caliber would choose to play at UNLV," Knight said. "We think he has a bright future. I love his competitiveness, and I think he'll be a real solid part of our team in the future."

Leadbetter, the son of renowned golf instructor David Leadbetter, is a long hitter with a wealth of experience as a junior on the national level. He won the Justin Leonard Classic and posted three top-five finishes last summer.

"I've watched Andy for a long time, since he was 12," Knight said. "He has grown quite a bit and comes to us as a big athlete with very solid fundamentals. His game has gotten better every year and I think he can be a solid collegiate player."

A senior at Orlando's Lake Highland High School, Leadbetter chose UNLV over national powers Texas and Oklahoma State.