When Stephanie Kono arrived at UCLA in the fall, she brought with her a resume full of junior golf accolades and the high expectations that came with them. After a solid fall season and a promising start to the spring, Kono has quickly become an integral part of the No. 1-ranked Bruins.

Kono, a 2008 Punahou graduate, has already won medalist honors at two tournaments this season and she leads her team in stroke average at 71.4 per round.

"I did expect her to contribute, absolutely, right away," UCLA coach Carrie Forsyth said. "But, the extent of success she's had, I'm a little bit amazed by that. Usually freshmen take a little bit of time to adjust, but she's been able to make a smooth transition. It's just like she has been here for four years."

Kono said her decision to attend UCLA was an easy one.

"Honestly, I really wanted to go to UCLA, I've always wanted to go to UCLA, it's my dream school," she said. "I checked out some other schools, but I love the coach here and the team is amazing. When I visited here, I fell in love with the campus ... I was pretty much set on UCLA from the very beginning."

Despite being a rookie on the nation's top team, Kono said she took everything in stride.

"I was aware of how talented my team was coming in and I knew how difficult it would be to make the traveling squad," she said. "But I knew all of my teammates before coming to college from playing in summer amateur tournaments, so I felt comfortable right away and they're like my family now."

Ten of Kono's 20 rounds this season have been under par. She has shot five rounds under 70, has seven top-20 finishes, five top-10 finishes and is coming off a win at the March 8 to 10 UCF Challenge, after shooting an 8-under-par 208 over 54 holes.

"Now that the season has progressed, I love the feeling of knowing that my teammates can count on me," Kono said. "I didn't expect to play at this level, but I knew I could. I worked hard through my whole high school career and I'm working even harder now at college. It's nice that it's finally paying off."

Forsyth is most impressed with Kono's mental approach.

"She's got something really special. It's not just her physical abilities, but her demeanor and calmness. There's a lot of players that just don't have that," Forsyth said. "She doesn't get very distracted, she's able to keep things in perspective and she just really enjoys playing golf. All those things put her above a lot of freshmen."

Forsyth, who has guided the Bruins to eight NCAA Tournament appearances and one national title in her 10 years, said the sky is the limit for Kono.

"She can take it as far as she wants," Forsyth said. "She's a truly gifted individual and I think she's going to be a superstar."

UCLA leaves today for the PING/Arizona State Invitational. The 54-hole tournament begins Friday and concludes Sunday at the par-70 Karsten Golf Course in Tempe, Ariz.

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