April 18, 2007
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The No. 24 TCU women's golf team begins play Thursday at the Mountain West Conference Championship in St. George, Utah.
The Horned Frogs are returning to action for the first time since placing second at the BYU Dixie Classic (April 3-4), played on the same Entrada at Snow Canyon course as the 2006 and 2007 MWC Championship.
Other ranked teams in the league this spring include No. 15 BYU and No. 17 New Mexico. UNLV has won the last three MWC titles with New Mexico capturing the previous four.
TCU has posted three consecutive runner-up finishes while placing in the top six in all but one of its 10 tournaments this season.
The Frogs were fourth at last year's MWC Championship. Dating back to the 1998 WAC Tournament, TCU had finished first or second in its previous eight conference events.
The Frogs' lineup at the MWC Championship will feature seniors Camille Blackerby, Elin Emanuelsson and Catherine Matranga as well as freshmen Valentine Derrey and Megan O'Donnell. O'Donnell will be in her first tournament since the Lady Puerto Rico Classic (Feb. 23-25).
Matranga was the top TCU individual at the MWC Championship last year, tying for 10th individually with an 11-over-par 227. Emanuelsson was in a deadlock for 17th, while Blackerby tied for 20th.
TCU features three of the MWC's top-eight golfers in stroke average this spring. Matranga (73.8) is third with Derrey (74.5) seventh and Blackerby (74.8) eighth.
Matranga, ranked 33rd nationally among individuals, and Blackerby both have career-best stroke averages. Matranga is 11th in the country with 77 birdies while placing 28th in par 3 scoring (3.1).
TCU ranks 13th nationally with 271 birdies and is 16th in first-round scoring (76.2), par 3 scoring (3.2) and par 4 scoring (4.3).
Tee times begin at 10:30 a.m. CDT each day through Saturday. Live scoring is available at www.golfstat.com.
