5-3, Freshman
Pereira, Colombia (Canyon Del Oro HS/Tucson)

Freshman (1998-99): One of the top freshman golfers in the country, she was an honorable mention All-America selection and had five top-10 finishes in 10 tournaments, as well as two top-20 outings... Owned the third-best stroke average on the team (75.18) and finished the year ranked No. 21st in the country... Arizona's top finisher at the Pac-10 Championships, tying for sixth... Had the Cats' second-best finish at the NCAA West Regional, tying for 19th after shooting a 10-over-par 226... An All-Pac-10 second team honoree and was a Golfweek/Sagarin All-Far West District honorable mention team performer... In Arizona's four tournament titles, she placed in the top-10 in each of them... Best outing of the year was a tie for third at the Arizona Invitational in Tucson... She was the Wildcats' top finisher and helped lead the team to its third of four titles on the year with a 4-under-par 212... Was featured in Sports Illustrated's Golf Plus "Faces in the Crowd" in March as a result of that outing... Was the Cats' top placer in one other outing - the Regional Challenge in Palos Verdes, Calif... She tied for 11th with a 15-over-par 228... Tied for third in the Stanford Intercollegiate last fall, shooting a 2-under-par 217 (71-73-73)... Tied for seventh in the first tournament of her career, the Topy Cup in Tokyo in the fall... She recorded a two-round total of 9-over-par 153... Tied for 35th at the PING/ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz...Sister of former Arizona women's golfer, Marisa Baena, who was the 1996 & 1997 National Player of the Year and the 1996 NCAA champion.

High School: Graduated from Canyon Del Oro in Tucson in 1997... Finished fourth in the 1997 Junior World... Finished first in the Mexican Amateur.

Personal: Full Name: Cristina Baena... Daughter of Eduardo and Maria de Baena... Both her parents are doctors... Born 12/14/79 in Pereira, Colombia... Her sister, Marisa, played golf three years at Arizona before turning professional in 1998... Enjoys playing volleyball.

** Play was called towards the end of the final round of the NCAAs due to thunderstorms and lightning... As a result, the third round results stood as final results.