Marisa Baena
Women’s Golf
1995-1998
A three-time All-American and All-Pac-10 selection, Marisa Baena led the women’s golf team to several No. 1 rankings, two Pac-10 championships, two NCAA West Regional championships and most importantly, the program’s first-ever NCAA Championship.
On May 25, 1996, Marisa completed one of the most impressive sweeps in Arizona golf history. After already capturing the Pac-10 and NCAA West Regional individual titles, Marisa put the finishing touches on a rare postseason hat trick by winning the NCAA individual title. She finished the championships with a score of 296, seven strokes ahead of the second-place finisher. What made the “triple crown” accomplishment even more remarkable was that Marisa was only nine months into her Wildcat career.
One of only four NCAA champions in Arizona women’s golf, Marisa led the Arizona women’s team to its first-ever NCAA Championship by hitting a crucial shot on the first hole of the sudden-death playoff to cap one of the most dramatic finishes in championship history.
Marisa was named the Eleanor Dudley National Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997. As a freshman, she received the Honda Award for her achievements as collegiate golf’s top female player. Marisa left the University of Arizona following her junior season and has enjoyed a promising professional career on the LPGA tour since 1998.
