Spring Sports '91TJie Oaily.Tar. HeelAVeclnesdayPebtUary?', 1 99011
.Heels look for excellent Wood play
Young, talented women's golf shoots for conference crown, national prominence
By Bryan Strickland
Staff Writer
The game of golf has both fascinated
and frustrated scoreless numbers of
normally mild-mannered and even
headed persons. Many have questioned
how they could honestly be expected to
hit a tiny white sphere across some 380
yards of picturesque landscape and drop
it in a small hole in the ground all in
four strokes.
At UNC, a talented group of 13
women have perfected such a skill
they are the 1 990-9 1 women's golf team.
Head coach Dot Gunnells begins her
1 6th year at the helm with one of her
most talented and youngest teams ever.
The 19th-ranked Tar Heels feature three
sophomores and one freshman among
their top five players.
Such youth doesn't concern Gunnells.
"These girls all come from experi
enced backgrounds," she said. "Most
have already been in tougher situations
than they've faced here."
Gunnells can also count on her senior
tri-captains Lisa Antonucci, Dayna
Baird and Kim Verrecchio for any
needed leadership.
If the fall 1990 season is any indication
of how the youngsters will perform, the
Tar Heels are in for an excellent spring
campaign. Sophomore Jessica Wood
highlighted the effort by claiming two
individual titles during UNC's five
match slate.
Both victories were gut-wrenching,
coming in sudden-death playoffs at the
Lady Seminole Invitational in Talla
hassee, Fla., and the Duke Fall Invita
tional in Durham. No UNC golfer has
ever won more than three titles in a full
season.
On the strength of Wood's individual
crown, the Tar Heels took the team title
at the Duke tourney in October. The
squad's impressive even-par perfor
mance was enough to outlast the host
Blue Devils in the 54-hole, 13-team
tournament. Freshman Meredith Tucker
placed sixth, sophomore Kim Byham
eighth and junior Debbie Doniger and
sophomore Meredith Quimby tied for
ninth.
All told, the Tar Heels finished no
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Jessica Wood
lower than eighth in their five fall events.
The success has Gunnells excited
about the upcoming campaign.
"I'm very pleased with the fall season
and looking forward to the spring," she
said. "I think we're going to do even
better."
Four players have already sewn up
spots for the approaching spring
schedule (only five compete in each
match). Tucker, whose 76.83 stroke
average was the team's best in the fall,
heads the regulars. She is joined by
Wood, Byham and Doniger. Quimby
may have the inside track on the final
slot. Sophomore Justine Richards will
also contribute.
Ten Tar Heels competed in at least
one fall tournament, but Gunnells
doesn 't expect such a pattern to continue.
"In the spring, I really like to play the
same five or six if possible," she said.
The challenging spring slate kicks
off March 1 when the Tar Heels travel to
Fort Ord, Calif., for the Jostens Invita
tional. The powerful field includes the
nation's top-ranked team, San Jose State.
Third-ranked UCLA will also be in
action, and ACC foe Duke, ranked 1 8th,
will also compete.
The bulk of the Tar Heels' schedule
falls during spring break. After travel-
Tennis
from page 4
spotlight, a number of upperclassmen
have something to say.
The most prominent is Bryan Jones,
a junior who last year split time at the
No. 1 position with then-senior and
captain Don Johnson. The Kings
Mountain native is an All-ACC returnee,
coming off a 31-17 record (6-1 in the
ACC) and a No. 59 national ranking. He
is the only current Tar Heel to have
participated in the NCAA singles
competition last season. Despite some
tough times in the fall season, expect
Jones to give Webb and Lindqvist a run
for their money in the team seedings.
Fortunately, this North Carol ina team
is not entirely top-heavy. Talent abounds
throughout the ranks. Senior co-captain
Andre Janasik had an exceptional fall
season with a 13-4 mark, winning a
consolation singles championship in the
Region II tournament.
Janasik played at the No. 4 position
throughout most of last year and finished
with a 16-4 mark. He ended the 1990
season with a No. 19 ranking in Region
II singles. Janasik Is also considered
one of the team's best doubles players
and is expected to make big contributions
in that area.
The other co-captain is senior Tho
mas Tanner. The Rocky Mount native
served primarily as the No. 6 seed last
year en route to a 2 1 -6 record (6-1 in the
ACC), enough to garner him the league
title at that position. Tanner and
sophomore Sean Steinour will anchor
the bottom of the singles lineup.
Steinour played last year at No. 5 and
compiled a 31-14 record, 6-1 in the
ACC. He is a top-notch doubles player.
Other expected impact players in
clude Chris Mumford, who won most
improved honors in 1990 and had an
outstanding doubles record this fall at 7
1. Mumford went 6-0 in his doubles
outings last spring. Joe Frierson pro
vides solid depth.
The combination of fresh talent and
seasoned experience which Morris has
brought to Chapel Hill has led to high
expectations for the Tar Heels this year.
The team is ranked 15th nationally by
the USTATTCA poll and is the pre
season favorite to win the ACC.
Coming off his best season in his 11
year tenure at UNC, Morris seems ready
to move on to even bigger achievements
and very likely his first berth in the
NCAA Tournament.
Women's Golf
Head Coach: Dot Gunnells (Memphis
State 1951)
Career Record: 25 invitational, 26 indi
vidual championships (1 6th season)
Record at School: same
Starters ReturningLost: 41
Top Returnees: Lisa Antonucci (Sr.),
Amanda Bailey (So.), Dayna Baird (Sr.),
Kim Byham (So.), Debbie Doniger (Jr.),
Tara Hipp Of-), Merideth Quimby (So.),
Justine Richards (So.), Kim Verrecchio
(Sr.), Jessica Wood (So.)
Top Newcomers: Meredith Tucker(Rocky
Mount)
Facility: A.E. Finley GolfCourseO 8 holes;
par 72; 5,980 yards)
ing to Orlando, Fla., for the Peggy Kirk
Bell Invitational March 11-12, North
Carolina will challenge second-ranked
Arizona at the Betsy Rawls Longhorn
Invitational March 15-17 in Austin,
Texas.
Justine Richards
UNC finishes the regular season much
closer to home. The women venture to
Greenville, S.C., April 6-7 for the Lady
Paladin Invitational before wrapping
up the season by hosting the Woodbridge
Intercollegiate in Shelby April 12-14.
Gunnells has set lofty goals for her
young squad.
"One of our goals is to finish in the
top 10 of every tournament we play in,
but our real goal is to just play our best,"
she said. The UNC coach said the team
could possibly win two of its five tour
naments. Gunnells fully expects her team to
make the NCAA Tournament, where
UNC placed eighth two years ago. In
fact, she has already made reservations
for the event, which is being hosted by
Ohio State University. Seventeen teams
will receive bids.
Despite the team goals, golf is in
herently an individual sport, Gunnells
said.
"When they're out there, they are
playing against the golf course," she
said. "They shouldn't be thinking about
what their teammates are doing or what
their competitors are doing. Their job is
to play the golf course."
Gunnells said her team had a chance
for a great season.
T ve got a good group of hard workers
that really pull for each other. I'm really
excited."
Applebee's Wishes Carolina
A Qreat Season!
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t'l ..... It .J I
Join Us For Your
Pre-Game Warm Up
and
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