Chambana Sun

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Fighting Illini juniors Brielle Mapanao and Victoria Zheng, along with sophomore Yurang Li, were named to the Big Ten Women's Golf Preseason Players to Watch List, the conference announced today.

Mapanao, a transfer from Western Carolina, was named to the All-Southern Conference Team last season after she broke the program's and her own single-season scoring record with a 73.63 average over 30 rounds. The Quakers Hill, New South Wales, Australia native tallied two top-10 finishes during the 2023-24 season. In her freshman campaign in 2022-23, Mapanao was named the Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and earned All-Southern Conference Team honors after posting seven top-10 finishes.

Zheng, a transfer from Augusta University, is a two-time All-Southland Conference honoree. She helped the Jaguars to a conference title and the program's first-ever appearance at the NCAA National Championships during her freshman season in 2022-23. During the 2023-24 season, the Markham, Ontario, Canada native recorded four top-10 finishes, including a career-best fifth place at the Southland Conference Women's Golf Championship.

Li begins her first full season in Orange and Blue after joining the program in spring 2024. The Fullerton, Calif., native played 18 rounds in six events with a 74.11 scoring average. Li recorded a career-best tied for 22nd at The Chevron Collegiate from Feb. 26-27, 2024, and also set career-best marks for lowest round (68) and low 54-hole score (211).

The Illini continue their 2024-25 slate on Sept. 23-24 when they travel to Charlottesville, Va., for the Cavalier Regional Preview at Birdwood Golf Course hosted by the University of Virginia.