JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (Sept. 8, 2006) - Coming off a 2005-06 season in which the ETSU women's golf team enjoyed its best-ever conference finish with a second-place showing at the Atlantic Sun Championships, head coach Stefanie Reynolds and the Bucs begin their fall schedule Sept. 11-12 at the Draper Valley Women's Intercollegiate hosted by Appalachian State in Draper Valley, Va.

            Reynolds, who enters her fifth season at ETSU, faces the challenge of replacing the program's most decorated and successful player, Ashley Barton, who graduated at the end of the 2006 season. The Seffner, Fla., native finished her career with the Bucs by posting a team-best stroke average of 76.22 and ending her career with seven individual season and career records, while also garnering back-to-back, first-team all-conference honors. She finished second in two of her final three events, including a second-place showing in the A-Sun Championships.

            This year, however, the Bucs return their share of quality players, including second-team All-A-Sun pick Natalia Giraldo (Cali, Colombia), all-freshman selection Lucy Gould (Bargoed, Wales), and former Southern Conference freshman of the year Maria Ringdahl (Oland, Sweden). Giraldo, who finished second on the team in stroke average, and Ringdal are the lone juniors on the team, while Gould will be the team's only sophomore. Giraldo, Gould and Ringdahl comprised three of the team's top four stroke averages from a year ago.

            "We have a young squad with two juniors, a sophomore and three freshmen," Reynolds said. "But the juniors - Natalia and Maria - are already captains and leaders for the team, and I look for both of them to really lead the team this year in play and during practice. Both are great models for the younger girls. With the scoring depth we have this year, I'm looking forward to teeing it up on Monday in Virginia, and breaking new ground."

            Newcomers this year include a pair of local standouts and a late addition from eastern Europe. Former Cocke County High School star Kennie Leigh Eisenhower (Newport, Tenn.) and former Jefferson County High School star Sarah Jane Sinard (White Pine, Tenn.), will give the team a Northeast Tennessee connection, while Laura Jansone (Jurmala, Latvia) joins the team after a decorated career on the Latvian amateur level. 

            Along with the Draper Valley Women's Intercollegiate, the team's fall schedule includes stops at five other events, including the Napa River Grill Cardinal Cup in Simpsonville, Ky. (Sept. 18-19), the Great Smokies Women's Golf Championship in Waynesville, N.C. (Sept. 30-Oct. 1), the Lady Paladin Intercollegiate in Greenville, S.C. (Oct. 6-8), the Lady Pirate Fall Intercollegiate in Greenville, N.C. (Oct. 20-22), and the Edwin Watts-Palmetto Intercollegiate in Kiawah Island, S.C. (Oct. 30-31).

            "At the girls' request, we have scheduled six tournaments this fall to allow them a chance to enhance their competitive play," Reynolds said. "I think we're all very excited about the road ahead."

To keep up with ETSU women's golf throughout the 2005-06 season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's golf link.