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Broncs And Ladycats Look To Repeat At National Minority College Golf Championship Contact Rebecca Szmukler PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. - For the sixth consecutive year, PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., will host the 2003 National Minority College Golf Championship, May 1-4. Each year this event features top student-athletes from around the nation. The defending Div. I champions, the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA), will be returning to defend their title but know the competition this year will be aiming for the Broncs. "We feel good about defending our title," Coach Mark Gaynor said. "I have noticed that the other teams in our division, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman College, are playing very well this season. We have three players returning from last year's squad. But our real advantage, I think, is that we play a stronger schedule than the rest of the field." Though UTPA lost last year's star, Santiago DeLarrea, to graduation, the team is anchored with juniors Rudy Celedon of Edinburg, Texas, and Ben Piper of Lubbock, and sophomore John Huerta of Alice. They are joined this season by junior college transfer Paul Manganilla of Carrolton and freshman Craig Berger of Alberta, Canada. Also returning to PGA Golf Club will be the Ladycats of Bethune-Cookman who are looking to four-peat as champions in the Women's Division. Bethune-Cookman is led by co-captains and seniors Carolina Pehrson of Falkenberg, Sweden, and Catherine Williams of Moffat, Scotland. They are joined by freshmen Maria Dunne of Dublin, Ireland, Patricia Ellsworth of Ontario, Canada, Nikeda Cooks of Los Angeles, Calif., Shauna McVeigh of Kelkeel, Northern Ireland. "Freshman Maria Dunne is our No. 1 player," said PGA Professional Gary Freeman, the Bethune-Cookman coach. "She is playing very good this year and has won three times so far. She has the potential to play professionally." More than 100 contestants from 22 colleges and universities will comprise the field for the 17th National Minority College Golf Championship. The Championship starts with a welcome dinner and Career Fair on May 1 and concludes after the third round on Sunday, May 4. The National Minority College Golf Championship is co-sponsored by The PGA of America and the National Minority College Golf Scholarship Fund of Cleveland, Ohio. |