July 17, 2003
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STORYLINE: Understandably, turning in the best season in a program's history isn't too difficult when said program is only two years old. But the 2002-03 campaign completed by the UNLV women's golf team could qualify to be the best seasons in many programs' histories. Among the highlights for the Rebels this year were the team's first victory, the school's first individual victory, the program's first postseason appearance, and the emergence of an All-American who rolled to an 11th-place national finish. UNLV finished just one stroke short of a conference title
ABOUT UNLV: The Rebels return eight letterwinners and four starters next season for second-year head coach Missy Ringler. The team's only departure was senior Erin Borcherts, a local product who was the cornerstone of the original signing class. However, four players from last season's NCAA West Regional squad carry that experience into next season: juniors-to-be Hwanhee Lee and Christine Hentzner, and sophomores-to-be Sunny Oh and Elena Kurokawa. That combination, with 118 competitive rounds to its credit last season, along with four consistent letterwinners and incoming freshman Seema Sadekar will look to take the Rebels a step further in 2004.
SUNNY DAYS: Sunny Oh, as a freshman, played her way to the top of the Rebel lineup. After impressive yet disappointing runner-up finishes twice during the regular season (Las Vegas Showdown & MWC Championship), Oh exploded at the NCAA West Regional with a first-round 67, snapping her own school record by three strokes. That round, along with solid play throughout the weekend, powered the rising star to her first collegiate victory and a berth to the national finals. She rolled to an 11th-place finish there, claiming honorable mention All-America honors and ending the year ranked 45th in the Golfweek/Sagarin Performance Index. For her efforts, Oh was proclaimed the UNLV Sportswoman of the Year.
HEAD COACH Missy Ringler: UNLV women's golf head coach Missy Ringler completed her first year at UNLV, and participated in the national finals for the first time as a coach. She took over for Kelley Hester, who left to become the head coach at Arkansas. An All-Big Eight golfer at Iowa State from 1990-95, Ringler spent the last three years as the head coach at the University of Minnesota. She and her husband, Lance, welcomed their new son, Landon, on January 11, 2003.
