ɐ kəlˈiːdʒiət ˈɔːlɐmˈɛɹɪkən æt ðə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ʌv maɪˈæmi, ɐmˌʌŋ hɜː sɪɡnˈɪfɪkənt vˈɪktɚɹiz æz ɐn ˈæmətʃɚ wɜː ðɪ ˈiːstɚn wˈɪmɪnz ˈæmətʃɚ ænd mˈɛksɪkən ˈæmətʃɚɹ ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi, ɐ jˈɪɹ wɛn ʃiː wʌz ˈɔːlsoʊ ɹˈʌnɚɹˌʌp tə dʒˈuːli ɪŋkstˈɜːɹ æt ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. wˈɪmɪnz ˈæmətʃɚ ænd ˌɪndᵻvˈɪdʒuːəl wˈɪnɚ wɛn ðə jˈuː.ˈɛs. tˈiːm wˈʌn ðə nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ˈeɪɾi ɛspɪɹˈiːɾoʊ sˈæntoʊ tɹˈoʊfi.
A collegiate All-American at the University of Miami, among her significant victories as an amateur were the Eastern Women's Amateur and Mexican Amateur in 1980, a year when she was also runner-up to Juli Inkster at the U.S. Women's Amateur and individual winner when the U.S. team won the 1980 Espirito Santo Trophy.