AUSTIN, Texas -- The University of Texas men's and women's golf teams are ranked seventh and 11th, respectively, according to Golfweek's preseason rankings, which were released on Wednesday, September 1. Both teams broke the top 10 in the Golf World poll with the men's team ranking eighth and the women's team 10th. Additionally, Golfweek named junior Matthew Rosenfeld (Plano, Texas) a preseason second-team All-American, while Golf World named him as one of its "50 Players to Watch."
The men's team returns six players who competed in at least seven tournaments last season. Three returnees - Rosenfeld, Jeff Bell (Plano, Texas) and Farren Keenan (Middlesex, England) - were among the five-man lineup that led Texas to a fourth-place at the 2004 NCAA Championships.
Head coach John Fields expects the other returnees - Shaun Goodwin (Spring, Texas), Matthew Mills (London, England) and Colton Turnquist (Austin, Texas) to challenge for the top five this season. The returnees will be joined by four talented freshmen, Tarik Can (New York, N.Y.), Jace Moore (Southlake, Texas), Michael Randle (Austin, Texas) and Kevin Schultz (Richardson, Texas) and two redshirt freshmen, Hector Diaz-Ceballos (Morelos, Mexico) and Tommy Rymer (Hastings, Minn.).
Rosenfeld, a two-time PING honorable mention All-American, was selected as a preseason second-team All-American by Golfweek. After finishing tied for 15th at last year's NCAA Championship, Rosenfeld is the leader of a Texas squad that will be trying to win its unprecedented fourth-consecutive Big 12 Championship.
The women's team welcomes back six players from the 2004 squad, four of whom competed at the NCAA Championships at which Texas finished tied for sixth, the team's fifth top-six finish in a row at the season-ending event. The team are led by seniors Lisa Ferrero (Lodi, Calif.), Mariana Salazar (Torreon, Mexico) and Perry Swenson (Charlotte, N.C.). The lone junior, Devan Andersen (Guadalajara, Mexico), competed in all 11 tournaments last season including the NCAA Championship.
Head coach Susan Watkins is expecting contributions from sophomores Julia Best (Bulverde, Texas) and Ashley Prust (Englewood, Colo.) along with the freshmen, Stephanie Brown (Hilton Head Island, S.C.), Jordan Craig (Connellsville, Pa.), Brittany Givilancz (Weslaco, Texas) and Kelley Louth (Victoria, Texas).
The men will open their season when they travel to Tanagura, Japan to play in the Topy Cup, Tuesday,-Thursday Sept. 7-9. The women's team will start the fall season at the NCAA Preview in Sunriver, Ore., Monday-Wednesday, September 20-22.
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