Although they began the season on opposite ends of the spectrum, the 1999-2000 men's and women's golf teams ended the year at the same place, posting strong finishes at the Conference USA Championships.

Herman Wins Individual Crown At Xavier Invitational With all but one starter back and one of the best recruiting classes in the history of the program, UC's men's team entered the 1999-2000 season with the highest of expectations.

Led by senior Jim Herman, the Bearcats kicked off the fall campaign with a team title at the Yale Fall Intercollegiate. Herman was UC's top golfer, shooting a three-over-par 73 on the final day of competition to tie for fifth place. Cincinnati finished tied for 13th at the Eastern Kentucky Colonel Classic a week later and recorded a 10th place result at the prestigious Legends of Indiana Invitational on Oct. 5.

Returning to Cincinnati the following week, Herman proved familiarity with a course is half the battle, capturing the individual crown at the Xavier Invitational. It was Herman's third title and helped UC record a sixth place finish.

Traveling to Louisville, Ky. and New Orleans, La. for the final two tournaments of the fall, UC continued to play well. The team finished sixth at the Cardinal Intercollegiate and tied for fifth place at the Deep South Intercollegiate. Senior Nick Lykins was the Bearcats' top golfer in New Orleans as he tied for 18th place with a three-day total of 232.

Women Struggle With Inexperience Early
With just two starters back and five freshman fighting for the vacant positions, UC's women's team knew 1999-2000 would be a rebuilding year.

Cincinnati began the season with a 17th place performance at the Bay Tree Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Freshman Andrea Williams was the team's top golfer as she tied for 46th place with a three-day total of 239. UC showed improvement a week later, placing 10th at the Memphis Invitational before recording a 16th place result at the Mary Fossum Invitational on September 25.

Sophomore Katie Rakel emerged as the team's leader during the final two events of the fall, finishing tied for 21st at the Nittany Lion Invitational and 23rd at the Wolverine Invitational. UC placed 14th as a team at Penn State and tied for 12th place in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Lykins Named To C-USA All-Tournament Team
Senior Jim Herman continued to dominate the Bearcats during the spring season, but it was junior Brad Wilder who recorded the team's top performance in the first tournament of the year. Wilder finished tied for 18th at the St. John's Invitational in Port St. Lucie, Fla. to lead the Bearcats to a 14th place finish. A week later, the team followed with a ninth place result at the East Carolina Invitational and posted a 15th place finish at the Marshall Invitational. Herman was the team's top finisher at both tournaments as he tied for ninth in Greensville, N.C. and 31st in Huntington, W.V.

At the Sam Houston State Invitational, the final tournament before the conference championship, Herman finished second with a three -day total of 208 as the Bearcats tied for 10th place. Before heading into the C-USA tournament, Herman was named to the all-conference team, but it was senior Nick Lykins who stole the show in Navarre, Fla. Lykins shot a three-round score of 218 to tie for fifth place and was named to the C-USA All-Tournament team.

A week later Cincinnati closed out the season tied for second place at the Princeton Invitational.

Rakel Ends Season With Seventh Place Finish At C-USA
Picking up right where she left off during the fall, sophomore Katie Rakel posted the team's top finish in all but one event during the spring and was the only golfer to be named Conference USA Golfer of the Week.

The Bearcats kicked off the spring season with a 14th place finish at the Southern Miss Invitational followed by a 10th place result at the UAB Invitational.

One week later, Cincinnati finished 21st at the College of Charleston Invitational before posting an eighth place finish at the William and Mary Invitational. Rakel led UC at both events recording a 29th place showing in Charleston, N.C. and a sixth place finish in Willimasburg, Va.

Rakel peaked a week later, recording a season-best third place result at the James Madison Invitational as the team finished sixth. It was UC's highest finish of the season and helped prepare Rakel for the C-USA Championships in Ft. Walton, Fla. a week later.

Rakel just missed being named to the all-tournament team, firing a three-round score of 229 to finish tied for seventh place.