Golf Russian sisters find success at WSU

By Craig Smith
Seattle Times staff reporter

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Anastasia and Maria Kostina are Washington State golfers. Like most Cougars, they live eight miles from Moscow.

What makes them different is that they grew up 25 miles from a much more famous Moscow. They are Russian.

And they are good.

Anastasia, a 19-year-old junior, was named Golfweek's college player of the week last fall after winning the Stanford Intercollegiate Tournament with a school-record 5-under 205 for three rounds.

Russia? Golf? Huh?

Maria Kostina

They had the good fortune to live 10 minutes from what was at one time the only course in Russia, the Moscow Country Club.

WSU golf coach Walt Williams heard about Maria from a Florida pro who mentioned that a group of top young Russian golfers was practicing in the Miami area.

Williams contacted Maria but told her there were a lot of hurdles to clear, such as a transcript that met WSU requirements and an English equivalency test. Even after she got that accomplished and enrolled, there were NCAA eligibility issues concerning her participation on Russian national teams.

She was ineligible the fall season in 2002, but joined the team in the spring of 2003 and earned All-Pac-10 honorable-mention honors.

Williams didn't know that Maria had a younger sister until she mentioned it one day in casual conversation. He wasted no time recruiting Anastasia.

Maria noted that in Russia, universities and athletics are separate entities. The sight of such things as a large football stadium in the middle of campus surprised them.

She also has been surprised at "how organized everything is" in Division I intercollegiate athletics.

"On trips, they treat us really, really good," she said.

Copyright © 2005 The Seattle Times Company

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