The San Diego State women’s golf team will kick off its springseason this weekend against stiff competition.

First year interim assistant coach, Felicia Brown, will continueto guide her Aztecs against the toughest schedule in school historythis weekend, when they host the Lady Aztec Invitational Sunday atLake San Marcos.

Brown will lead her No. 66-ranked Aztecs against 19 teams at thespring opener, including No. 14 Michigan, No. 20 Washington and No.22 Kent State.

“Our goal is to get back to the regional and I think we can doit,” Brown said. “I think that our young team is getting better everyday and it is just a matter of us being more consistent.”

Coach Brown, who played professionally on the SBC Futures Tour in2000, said she thinks that her team has the talent to get the jobdone.

“If your top four shoot 300 every day, you can be top 10 in thecountry,” she said. “The ladies who I have on this team are capableof doing that. In most tournaments, I have three players with scoresaround 75 and then two that end up with scores a little higher.

“It’s just a matter of convincing them that they have the abilityto do it day in and day out.”

Senior captain, Heather Rollo, said she likes the tough scheduleand her new coach.

“It is nice to have a new coach with some new blood in thesystem,” Rollo said. “She is young and can relate to us as players.She has a lot to teach us about golf. She has a lot of experienceafter playing on the tour, and she has great knowledge of the game.”

Brown also has great knowledge of the Lake San Marcos course.Prior to accepting her position at SDSU, she was an LPGA teaching proat the North County course.

“She knows the ins and outs of the game, and the San Marcoscourse,” Rollo said. “We are out here right now trying to figure outthis tough course, and her experience with it really helps.”

Rollo, a four-year starter, said she thinks the women’s golfprogram is definitely headed in the right direction.

“Before I came in as a freshman, you used to be able to shoot inthe 80s and travel,” she said. “Now the scores just keep dropping,and it is tougher to make the top five. I think our program is justgoing to continue to grow in a positive direction.”

The team’s best finish in the fall was fifth out of 14 in thePioneer Intercollegiate. In the tournament, held at Highland Ranch inDenver, Colo., the Aztecs had two sophomores finish No. 4 and No. 6individually.

Sandy Kim, who shot three over, and Shayna Miyajima, who shot fourover, are a big part of the reason for Brown to be optimistic aboutthe program’s future.

“I hate to use the word potential, because most of the time peopleuse that word when they don’t have anything else to talk about,”Brown said. “But I really do think this team has unlimited potentialto grow.

“Right now we are in a little bit of a transition stage becausethere is a new captain at the helm, and everyone runs things a littledifferently.”

Speaking of running things — the interim head coach of the Aztecwomen is Neale Stoner. He took over last year when Diana Falarretired after a long stay as head coach.

Although Stoner is the interim head coach, and Brown’s title isinterim assistant coach, Brown said she is responsible for runningthe team.

Brown said her Aztecs are working hard this spring toward afavorable district ranking, hoping for postseason play.

“We play against some tough schools,” she said. “This is handsdown the toughest schedule in the history of the Aztec women’sprogram.

“We are expanding our horizons, but at least we didn’t get whackedaround too bad in the fall. I think we are holding our own.”