No. 54 Golf Travels to Gator Invitational

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The 54th-ranked Miami Hurricanes women’s golf team resumes its spring season March 15-17 at the 41st annual SunTrust Gator Women’s Invitational.

Hosted by the University of Florida, the tournament will be held at the 6,074-yard, par-70 Mark Bostick Golf Course. Miami will face a 15-team field that includes seven Top 25 teams – North Carolina (3), Alabama (4), Oklahoma (5), Florida (6), Baylor (18), Virginia (19), and Oklahoma State (21) – and in-state rivals USF, FIU, Florida State and host Florida. The Canes will face nine teams ahead of them in the Golfstat rankings.

Miami has won the Gators Women’s Invitational two times. The Canes won in 1976 and again in 1988, defeating host Florida in a playoff.

“(Facing) nine top teams means a lot of opportunity,” third-year head coach Patti Rizzo said. “Another Top 5 finish would be great for us. Even though we had a long break, the girls are still playing well. I’m looking forward to this weekend’s challenge.”

Sophomore Leticia Ras-Anderica and freshman Christina Ocampo will anchor the Canes lineup in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. It’s the first time a golfer other than Ras-Anderica or Rika Park is playing in the No. 2 spot since the 2010-11 season. Park will occupy the No. 3 spot in the lineup, followed by freshman Laura Hendee and junior Carina Cuculiza.

Ras-Anderica leads the Canes with a 74.39 stroke average through 23 rounds, while posting six Top 25 finishes. Park is second on the team with a 74.91 stroke average, while Ocampo is third with a 76.52 average.

“Spring Break allowed the team to focus on school and recharge their battery,” assistant coach John Koskinen said. “We’re in a great spot right now at No. 54. The next few tournaments have really great competition.”

Miami has finished fourth or better in each of its first four spring events, including third-place finishes at the Florida Challenge, Hurricane Invitational and Sir Pizza Terrapin Challenge.

For the latest information, follow the Miami Hurricanes women’s golf team on Twitter, @HurricanesGolf.