AUSTIN, TX – The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) women's golf team claimed eighth place in the two-day St. Edward's Invitational, which concluded on Tuesday.
"The women played well for the first start of the spring season," UIS coach
Frank Marsaglia said. "Of the 16 teams only one other had not been outside practicing so knew we were going to be a little rusty. It is hard to give seven top 30-ranked teams in national an advantage and beat them. We did move up spots in the national rankings to break the top 50 in the national for the first time."
The Prairie Stars compiled a 36-hole score of 634, behind rounds of 319 and 315.
Ocean Pangan led the Prairie Stars with a T-20 finish and a tournament score of 156. The freshman from Scottsdale, AZ carded rounds of 79 and 77 on the par-70 layout at Onion Creek Club.
Maria Espinosa earned a T-29 finish (81-77 – 158).
Taryn Pittman tied for 35th (81-78 – 159). The senior from Aledo, TX hit season bests for lowest round score and lowest 36-hole score.
Brooke Hill put together a T-46 finish (78-85 – 163) and
Jennifer Queller tied for 73rd (87-83 – 170) to round out UIS's team scorers.
Chelsey Witkowiak and
Jordan Neyens each represented UIS as individuals. Witkowiak earned a T-48 finish (81-83 – 164) and Neyens secured 84th (93-87 – 180).
Tarleton State University fended off St. Mary's University (TX) for the tournament crown by two strokes, tallying scores of 606 and 608, respectively. St. Edward's University came in third with a team score of 610, finishing ahead of West Texas A&M University (611), Rogers State University (615), University of Central Oklahoma (620), Arkansas Tech University (623), UIS (634), Oklahoma Christian University (640), Regis University (643), Texas A&M University-Commerce (644), Oklahoma Baptist University (645), Western New Mexico University (649), Lubbock Christian University (660), Drury University (679) and the University of Hawaii at Hilo (757), which rounds out the team standings. West Texas A&M and St. Mary's (TX) took fourth and fifth, respectively, in the 2017 NCAA Division II Championships.
Rogers State's Jess Whitting captured first with a 142 after firing rounds of 75 and 67 to finish at 2-over. Maria Regina Gonzalez of St. Mary's (TX) took second (73-72 – 145). Tarleton State's Casey Wild (73-74 – 147) and West Texas A&M's Ueakarn Loukyee Songprasert (75-72 – 147) each tied for third.
UIS resumes competition in the Eagle Invitational on March 12-13 at LPGA International Jones Course in Daytona Beach, FL.
