It is unlikely anyone in Athens has enjoyed the mild winter as much as the Ohio men's and women's golf teams.

The spring-like temperatures this quarter have made practice conditions very favorable for Bobcat golfers who have been gearing up for their spring tournament schedules since January.

"This has been the best winter we've had for practicing," men's coach Bob Cooley said. "We've played 12 qualifying rounds, and normally we play four or five all winter. We're probably two to three weeks ahead of schedule."

The men's team left yesterday for Ocala, Fla., where it will compete this Thursday through Saturday in the Golden Ocala Intercollegiate tournament.

Men's captain Jay Spargrove said the team will use the trip as a starting point for a successful spring.

"The trip will be a good confidence builder for the team," Spargrove said. "I feel that winning breeds winning, and if we can perform well in Florida, it will carry over into the rest of the season."

Cooley's squad is youthful. Six of the 10 golfers are in their first or second year of eligibility. Only one, Chris Pagnotto, is a senior. But the Bobcats will be without junior Jonathan Belcher, who will miss the season after rotator cuff surgery.

Cooley remains optimistic about the season. He mentioned the impressive play of Joe Hill and A.T. Spires during qualifiers, something that must continue in order for the team to compete with Mid-American Conference powerhouses Kent, Miami and Toledo.

"Our conference is really strong this year, stronger than the Big Ten even," Cooley said. "We want to finish in the top ten in every tournament we play in and finish in the top half of the MAC-those are our biggest team goals."

The women's team set similar goals for itself. After three top-three finishes last fall, the team wants nothing short of a MAC crown this spring.

"Our goal is to win the MAC," freshman Julee Sovesky said. "We worked hard this winter getting our games together, and we're going to do very well."

In only their second season at the Division I level, the women golfers are already matching up against the Midwest's finest golf programs. On tap this spring are tournaments against Big Ten foes Indiana and Ohio State.

"It will be interesting to see how we step up against the big programs," coach Nicole Hollingsworth said. "We've beaten all the teams in the MAC, and that gives us a lot of confidence. Hopefully we can look back and say we had a great year."

Over spring break, the team will travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they will face UNC-Wilmington on March 22.

"The players just want to keep improving," Hollingsworth said. "Over break we're going to practice and play a lot of golf to get ready for the four weeks ahead of us."