University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Rick Yeatts Photography
UNT Women Looking For Banner Year, NCAA Bid
1/22/2020 9:04:00 AM | Women's Golf
DENTON - The UNT women's golf team is less than two weeks away from getting back to competition, and the Mean Green are on the brink of being the best team in program history - currently ranked No. 53 in the last GolfStat poll of the fall in late November. The highest a UNT women's team has ever been ranked is 50th - in the 2010-2011 season.
The Mean Green will have a one-day competition against SMU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Tulsa on Feb. 3, at Dallas Athletic Club before heading to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, hosted by Tulane, on Feb. 16-18.
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The team features senior Lauren Cox, who is on pace to go down as the greatest player in program history, along with unprecedented depth since head coach Michael Akers' arrival in 2016. In each year of his tenure, he's seen the team's ranking improve, but now they are on the verge of being in the conversation for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and that is unquestionably the goal after Cox made an individual appearance at the NCAA regional a year ago.
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"We are very excited to compete this spring," Akers said. "We certainly are trending in the right direction but always looking to improve. Every event counts toward our national ranking and we want to be inside the bubble (for an NCAA bid) going into the conference championship."
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Aside from Cox, UNT has great depth with the addition of Texas A&M transfer Katie Finley to go with sophomores Audrey Tan and Patricia Sinolungan – all of whom are capable of competing for an individual tournament title and leading the scoring for the team.
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Now, Akers hopes his two freshmen, Marija Jucmane and Emilie Ricaud, will be more comfortable entering the crucial spring schedule after some typical ups and downs in the fall.
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"We are on the verge of having a top-30 team," Akers said. "The key for us is to get our freshmen playing to their capability. The first semester is so difficult for every freshman. I expect both Emilie and Marija to really step up this spring."
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After the Sugar Bowl, the Mean Green will have a quick turnaround for a return trip to the ICON Invitational in The Woodlands, before going to the Entrada Invitational, hosted by BYU, and making a return trip to the Mountainview Collegiate in Tucson, Arizona. After that, UNT will host the third annual Bruzzy Invitational at Lantana Golf Club in Argyle before the Conference USA Championship in Fort Myers, Florida, April 20-22.
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The Mean Green will have a one-day competition against SMU, Baylor, Texas Tech, Kansas State and Tulsa on Feb. 3, at Dallas Athletic Club before heading to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl, hosted by Tulane, on Feb. 16-18.
Â
The team features senior Lauren Cox, who is on pace to go down as the greatest player in program history, along with unprecedented depth since head coach Michael Akers' arrival in 2016. In each year of his tenure, he's seen the team's ranking improve, but now they are on the verge of being in the conversation for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, and that is unquestionably the goal after Cox made an individual appearance at the NCAA regional a year ago.
Â
"We are very excited to compete this spring," Akers said. "We certainly are trending in the right direction but always looking to improve. Every event counts toward our national ranking and we want to be inside the bubble (for an NCAA bid) going into the conference championship."
Â
Aside from Cox, UNT has great depth with the addition of Texas A&M transfer Katie Finley to go with sophomores Audrey Tan and Patricia Sinolungan – all of whom are capable of competing for an individual tournament title and leading the scoring for the team.
Â
Now, Akers hopes his two freshmen, Marija Jucmane and Emilie Ricaud, will be more comfortable entering the crucial spring schedule after some typical ups and downs in the fall.
Â
"We are on the verge of having a top-30 team," Akers said. "The key for us is to get our freshmen playing to their capability. The first semester is so difficult for every freshman. I expect both Emilie and Marija to really step up this spring."
Â
After the Sugar Bowl, the Mean Green will have a quick turnaround for a return trip to the ICON Invitational in The Woodlands, before going to the Entrada Invitational, hosted by BYU, and making a return trip to the Mountainview Collegiate in Tucson, Arizona. After that, UNT will host the third annual Bruzzy Invitational at Lantana Golf Club in Argyle before the Conference USA Championship in Fort Myers, Florida, April 20-22.
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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