UTEP Item: Won the Vern Valdez Tournament at Santa Teresa Country Club in the summer of 2004 ... was victorious in a playoff over Rita Aguilar. 2006-07 (Senior): Tied for 36th place in her only tournament of the season, the Conference USA Championship ... shot a 248 (87-78-83).

2005-06 (Junior): Appeared in all 10 tournaments, registering an 81.9 stroke average ... top finish was a tie for 36th place at the ORU Shootout ... carded a career-low 230 at the Ptarmigan/Ram Fall Classic ... finished 43rd at the Conference USA Championship ... named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll.

2004-05 (Sophomore): Compiled an 82.1 stroke average in five competitions ... played in four of five fall tournaments, recording an 81.6 stroke average ... shot her low round of 76 at the Branch Law Firm/Dick McGuire Invitational ... fired her season-best 236 at the same tournament ... saw action in just one tournament during the spring (Baylor-Tapatio Springs Shootout).

2003-04 (Freshman): Played in seven tournaments as a true freshman ... posted an 83.1 stroke average ... top showing was a 31st-place finish at the WAC Championships in El Paso ... shot her season-low score of 237 at the "Mo" Morial Tournament.

Before UTEP: An All-District and All-Region honoree her senior year at Eastwood High School ... a four-year letterwinner who ranked third in the city among area high school players ... lowered her scoring average from 115 to the high 70's over the course of her prep career ... earned a first-place finish in a tournament at Los Altos Golf Course in Albuquerque, N.M. ... participated in numerous tournaments on the PGA Sun Country Junior Golf Tour ... earned a spot in the regional golf tournament in Lubbock ... was a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society and was named to the Academic All-District team.

Personal: Valerie De La Cruz was born on Aug. 29, 1985 ... civil engineering major ... parents are Luis Rene and Martha De La Cruz ... has a younger brother (Matthew).