GIRLS' GOLF DAILY NEWS ALL-AREA TEAM AND HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SEASON.

Byline: Compiled by Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

Player of the Year

GRACE WOO, Burbank, Sr.

It's difficult to imagine any local girl doing much more than Woo did in her fourth season as a varsity starter. She was the leading scorer and MVP in the area's toughest league - the Foothill, which included 2003 Daily News Player of the Year Melanie de Leon of Saugus - then was area medalist in the Southern Section and Southern California Regional finals.

Woo also was the only area qualifier for the state championship, where she came within a stroke of a playoff for first place.

Woo, who averaged even par in league and had a regular-season best of 2-under par, placed fifth in the section final at Mission Lakes Country Club (70), second in the Regional final at SCGA Golf Club (a season-best 68) and second in the state championship at Red Hill Country Club (72).

Her efforts helped the three-time Southern Section finalist earn a full golf scholarship from UNLV, where she can now wage an intrastate rivalry with former league rival de Leon, the three-time section finalist who accepted a full golf scholarship from Nevada.

``It was a little better season than I expected, but I practiced really hard,'' Woo said.

Woo's performance in the Southern California Regional, where it took a score of 1-under par to advance to State, made an impression on Burbank coach Jackie Davis.

``She plays her best under pressure,'' Davis said. ``She was even par after 12 holes and she wound up 4-under.''

Coach of the Year

ANDY RAEVOURI, Valencia

The man who had every vowel in his last name but not one senior on his roster accomplished more in the face of quality opposition than any area area coach. Raevouri also accomplished more than he expected, reasoning next year would be his team's season to sparkle.

Instead, Valencia won the school's first Foothill League championship and followed that with a second-place showing in the Northern Regionals to reach the Southern Section final - another first for the program - where it finished 10th.

``I'm happy with what we accomplished,'' Raevouri said after juniors Stevy Loy and Michelle Mannix, sophomores Tracy White, Andrea Ferris and Kristin Tao and freshman Jasnin Samson led the school's breakthrough season a year early. ``Top 10 in the Southern Section is a great starting point, and we'll take it from there with everybody returning.''

Newcomer of the Year

SARAH SALVO, Notre Dame, Fr.

The latest standout at a school with a rich history of quality golfers, this 2004 U.S. Junior Amateur match-play qualifier extended a string of Knights stars that includes LPGA player Emilee Klein and recent Division I scholarship winners Anne Lee and Mayumi Kobayashi.

Salvo didn't take long to show she belongs among Notre Dame's best, tying Daily News Player of the Year Grace Woo of Burbank for the most sub-par rounds (four) this season and equaling the low area round with a 4-under-par 68 in the Southern Section team preliminaries at Yucaipa Country Club.

Salvo also won the Mission League title with a 2-under-par total of 73-76-149 in the 36-hole league final at Woodley Lakes and Encino golf courses. She had a 72 in the Southern Section final to earn a berth in the Southern California Regionals.

FIRST TEAM

FAITH DEGUZMAN, Notre Dame, So.

She combined with freshman teammate Sarah Salvo to lead the team to a third consecutive Mission League title. She was second in the league individual championship with a 36-hole even-par total that would have won most leagues, then tied for ninth in the Southern Section final to earn her second regional berth.

ANGELA VILLELA, Granada Hills, Fr.

Perhaps the best freshman girl at Granada Hills since eventual LPGA Hall of Famer Donna Caponi started for the boys' team before girls' golf was started in the area. Villela, fourth in this year's Junior World Championship, led Granada Hills to its fourth consecutive City title and a best-ever seventh at regionals.

AMANDA GOODMAN, Agoura, Jr.

The formerly ranked junior tennis player challenged for Marmonte League individual titles each of her first two golf seasons. This year, she won what is traditionally the area's toughest league. Goodman shot 4-under 30 at Westlake Village, a school record, and tied for the low area score of the year.

DARLENE BOGNOT, Monroe, Sr.

Older sister of Kevin Bognot, who became Monroe's first state boys' qualifier last spring, Darlene won the Valley 1 League title and finished fourth in the City Section, where she shot 78 despite a swollen hand, to qualify for her second Southern California regional finals.

DANI O'NEIL, Quartz Hill, So.

The two-time Golden League champion and two-time Southern Section finalist stepped up the level of her play this season. That proved infectious, as coach Stu Manthey's young team went 21-1 for the best record in program history, losing only to a Saugus team riding a 71-match winning streak.

MELANIE DE LEON, Saugus, Sr.

A three-time Daily News All-Area player and 2003 Daily News girls' Golfer of the Year, de Leon won this year's Foothill League tournament, had a season-best 69 in the section team prelims, shot 75 in her third section final and had a 78 in her second appearance in the Southern California Regional final.

CAPTION(S):

9 photos, 6 boxes

Photo:

(1) GRACE WOO

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

(2) SARAH SALVO

Dave Shelburne/Daily News

(3) ANDY RAEVOURI

(4) FAITH DEGUZMAN

(5) ANGELA VILLELA

(6) AMANDA GOODMAN

(7) DARLENE BOGNOT

(8) DANI O'NEIL

(9) MELANIE DE LEON

Box:

(1) Honorable Mention

(2) Low Rounds

(3) Look Ahead

(4) Last Look Back

(5) Top 10

(6) Champs