June 11, 2001

DURHAM, N.C. -- The top-ranked Duke women's golf team has added yet another heralded international golfer to its 2001-02 roster as head coach Dan Brooks announced the signing of Niloufar Aazam-Zanganeh of Lausanne, Switzerland on Monday.

"Niloufar is perfectly suited to be a Duke student-athlete," said Brooks. "She is an excellent student and is quite possibly the best player in Europe at her age group."

Aazam-Zanganeh is a four-time Swiss Juniors and Ladies National Champion, while notching International wins at the 2001 Spanish Ladies Amateur International, 2000 Doral Publix Junior Classic, 2000 Portuguese Ladies Amateur International. She notched the 1998 victory at the Swiss Junior National Championship by recording a four-round 10-under-par total, which included a course record 67 in the third and fourth rounds.

She has played in five European Team Championships, two World Team Championships, two Ladies European Tour events, and is a member of the Swiss National Team. Aazam-Zanganeh is a three-time winner of the Switzerland Order of Merit and is currently enrolled in the Gymnase Auguste Piccard school in Switzerland. She turned in a second place finish at the 1999 Ladies British Open Amateur and notched a second place finish at the 2000 European Girls Team Championship, while recording the best individual ranking of 71.70.

"Niloufar is very mature and well-traveled," said Brooks. "She is suited for the rigors of college golf at a top university like Duke."

The Blue Devils now boast five International golfers on the roster with Leigh Anne Hardin (Martinsville, Ind.) being the lone golfer from the United States. Other returnees include-- Candy Hannemann (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Virada Nirapathpongporn (Bangkok, Thailand), Maria Garcia-Estrada (Tenerife, Spain), and Kristina Engstrom (Djursholm, Sweden). All five returning golfers for 2001-02 are All-ACC performers.