DATE: Wednesday, October 8, 1997            TAG: 9710080731

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C08  EDITION: FINAL 

COLUMN: Fore! YOUR WEEKLY LOCAL GOLF REPORT

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   42 lines

TEAM EYES NATIONALS

For years, they've been known in the golfing set as Lily, Red, Waa-Waa and Mommy.

But lately, they've also been answering to the name ``state champions,'' a distinction they picked up last month by winning the American Cancer Society Division II state tournament.

The victory earned them the right to compete in the ACS's national tournament Oct. 23-25 at the Doral Resort and Country Club, site of the famed ``Blue Monster'' course used for the Doral-Ryder Open, a PGA Tour event.

``We're getting to play where the big boys play,'' said Cindy ``Lily'' Martin, whose nickname is short for lily-white, a takeoff on the fact that she's rarely seen in public without a deep tan.

It's also their way of paying tribute to Janet Risley, a golfing teammate two years ago who died of cancer last May.

Rounding out the group: Leslie ``Waa-Waa'' Wilson, who has a tendency to complain; Suzanne ``Red'' Compitello (it's a hair thing); and Toni ``Mommy'' Schwarz - ``She's the mother of the group, and she's older than us,'' Martin said. The foursome is the first from Virginia Beach to qualify for the ACS nationals in the event's 25-year history.

All have handicaps between 13 and 16.

The team's journey to nationals began last October, when they won the local qualifying tournament at Honey Bee for the third straight year. Eleven months later, they sweated out a one-stroke victory in the state tournament, which was held at Williamsburg National and the Golden Horseshoe green course.

``Two years ago we finished third in the state tournament and last year we finished second,'' Martin said. ``We had a pretty good feeling this would be our year.''

Now all they need to do is come up with about $1,000 each to fund the trip. But while Martin said sponsorship would be nice - ``Let's see, if everybody in Virginia Beach gave a dollar . . . '' - the idea of playing golf in Miami for a good cause makes the cost secondary.

``We'll always think about winning, but our main goal is to support the charity,'' she said.

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