Women's Golf Opens Team Play, Men Defend Palmetto Crown

Sept. 7, 1999

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - On campus for now one week, Maryland's women's golf team opens its first fall of competition this weekend while traveling to the Baytree Classic at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Heading the newly-established women's program is former Terrapin men's player and assistant coach Jason Rodenhaver who welcomes the first women's golf team in history. Named to the post last December, Rodehnaver guides the women's team into its first season which includes competition against a powerful Atlantic Coast Conference field. The ACC's now five-team roster includes national champion Duke and three other schools which all qualified for the NCAA Tournament last spring.

Meanwhile, the men take part in their second competition of the fall after finishing sixth last weekend at the G. Gunby Jordan Intercollegiate at Callaway Gardens Resort in Pine Mountain, Ga. Seniors Keith Unikel (Potomac, Md.) and Gary Mankulish (Laurel, Md.) finished sixth (217, +1) and eighth (218, +2), respectively.

This week, Sept. 12-13, the men travel to Kiawah Island, S.C. to defend their title at the Palmetto Classic.

Building the Women's Program
Rodenhaver, a two-year Terrapin team captain and a participant in the 1994 NCAA East Regional, embarks on his first season in building the Maryland women's program. Though he faces the task of building a fledgling program within perhaps the most competitive women's golf conference in America, Rodenhaver is not deterred.

Said Rodenhaver, "We're excited about our competitive schedule. We're going to get fed into the fire right away. But we'll play against some smaller schools early to get our feet wet before we go head-to-head with the top ACC teams."

Rodenhaver welcomes six freshmen and a pair of juniors to his ranks. Juniors Sarah Bedford (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Jessica Fernandez (Baltimore, Md.) transfer from Radford and Longwood Colleges, respectively. Redshirt freshman Brook Bendler (Salisbury, Md.) transfers from Mississipi where she attended but did not see action in 1998-99. Highlighting Maryland's inaugural class of freshmen are two-time Maryland state champion Erin Clasper (Gaithersburg, Md.) and Carter Crowther (Kilmarnack, Va.), regarded as the top prep golfer from the state of Virginia.

Mankulish and Unikel Pace Men's Fortunes
Maryland finished sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference last season and qualified for the NCAA East Regional for the first season since 1994. Ninth-year head coach Tom Hanna welcomes seniors Keith Unikel and Gary Mankulish back as two of his top three golfers from a year ago. Both have participated in the U.S. Amateur the last two years, and within the last month, Mankulish made a run at the 1999 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. In fact, Mankulish bested Unikel head- to-head in a playoff round at a local U.S. Amateur qualifier. At Pebble Beach, Mankulish advanced to the second round of match play before falling to Georgia Tech All-American Bryce Molder. Unikel was an All-ACC selection last season as a junior.

Hanna also welcomes a slew of newcomers, including sophomore transfers Corey Brigham (Rumson, N.J.) from Baylor, Scott Ehrlich (Blue Bell, Pa.) from American University and Phillip Fenstermaker (Rockville, Md.) out of Cisco JC in Texas. Hanna expects these transfers to contribute quickly, along with returning sophomore Brit Musser (North Potomac, Md.) and four incoming freshmen.

Fenstermaker, Brigham and freshman John Moheyer (Lima, Ohio) participated in the Terps' opening tournament at Callaway Gardens. Fenstermaker (230, +14) finished in 48th place while Brigham (232, +16) and Moheyer each tied for 56th.

Terps At a Glance

MEN: Maryland at Palmetto Classic
Date: Sept. 12-13, 1999
Time: All Day
Site: Osprey Point G.C. (Kiawah Island, S.C., Par 72, 6,871 Yards)

WOMEN: Maryland at Unlimited Potential Baytree Classic
Date: Sept. 10-12, 1999
Time: All Day
Site: Baytree Plantation Golf Club (Myrtle Beach, S.C., Par 72, 6,000 Yards)

MARYLAND MEN'S GOLF

1999 Fall Schedule

Sept. 4-5 - G. Gunby Jordan Intercollegiate, Callaway Gardens Mountain          
            View G.C. (Pine Mountain, Ga.) 
			6th out of 14 teams (890, +26)
Sept. 12-13 - Palmetto Classic, Osprey Point G.C. (Kiawah Island, S.C.)

Sept. 18-19 - Cavalier Classic, Birdwood G.C. (Charlottesville, Va.)

Oct. 5-6 - UT-Chattanooga Fall Classic, Valleybrook G.C. (Chattanooga,    
           Tenn.)

Oct. 29-31 - Outback Invitational, Outback G.C. (Tampa, Fla.)

1999 Roster

Corey Brigham         SO   Rumson, N.J.
Scott Ehrlich         SO   Blue Bell, Pa.
Phillip Fenstermaker  SO   Rockville, Md.
Vertti Iso-Ahola      FR   Upper Marlboro, Md.
Danny MacDonald       FR   Plandome, N.Y.
Gary Mankulish        SR   Laurel, Md.
John Moheyer          FR   Lima, Ohio
Brit Musser           SO   North Potomac, Md.
Daniel Prettyman      FR   Milton, Del.
Keith Unikel          SR   Potomac, Md.

MARYLAND WOMEN'S GOLF

1999 Fall Schedule

Sept. 10-12 - Baytree Classic, Baytree Plantation Golf Club (Myrtle 
              Beach, S.C.)

Sept. 20-21 - Northern Arizona Invitational, Aspen Valley Country Club 
             (Flagstaff, Ariz.)

Oct. 2-3 - Nittany Lion Fall Invitational, Penn State White Course 
           (University Park, Pa.)

Oct. 25-26 - Great Smokies Championship, Waynesville Country Club 
             (Waynesville, N.C.)

1999 Roster

Brooke Bendler     FR   Salisbury, Md.
Sarah Bedford      JR   Gaithersburg, Md.
Erin Clasper       FR   Gaithersburg, Md.
Carter Crowther    FR   Kilmarnack, Va.
Jessica Fernandez  JR   Baltimore, Md.
Jennifer Gibson    FR   Havertown, Pa.
Lori Koch          FR   Baltimore, Md.
Holly Thornton     FR   Del Ran, N.J.