The University of Illinois Springfield women's golf team opened its spring season on Sunday and Monday in St. Augustine, Fla. at the World Golf Invitational. The Prairie Stars finished tied for 13th in a competitive 18-team field.
 
UIS shot a 325 in its opening round, and then improved by 15 shots during Monday's final round. Its final round score of 625 tied with Palm Beach Atlantic. The number three team in NCAA Division II, Nova Southeastern, won the event with a 579.
 
All five Prairie Star golfers improved during the second round, and four of the five golfers broke 80 on Monday. Jennifer Queller, Ocean Pangan, and Paula Valdivia all shot rounds of 80 in the first round. Queller led that trio in the second round with a 77, and she tied for 40th overall with a 157. Pangan had a 78 in the second round, and Valdivia had a 79.
 
Maria Espinosa shot a team-best 76 in day two of the event, an improvement of nine shots. Sasha Glickfield also had a nine-shot improvement.
 
UIS will be in action again on March 9 at the Illinois Spring Break Match in Howey-In-The-Hills, Fla.