The UIS women's golf team showcased its skills at the Dan Salisbury Memorial Collegiate Invitational, held on September 15-16, at the Piper Glen Golf Course in Springfield. This event marked the team's only home tournament of the year and the first regular season home event since 2022.

In a remarkable individual performance, Elaine Grant of UIS secured her second career tournament victory in a thrilling two-hole playoff. Grant carded consistent rounds of 74, 74, and 77, finishing with a total score of 225. She was tied with Maryville's Fernanda Diaz-Pizarro, who also scored 225, but Grant clinched the win with composed and clutch shots during the playoff.

The team event saw UIS finish third among seven Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) teams, with a total score of 961 strokes (+97 - 313, 321, 327). The team started strong and held off Maryville for a considerable portion of the tournament before ultimately being surpassed. McKendree claimed the top spot with a score of 940 (+76), followed by Maryville at 959 (+95).

Additional UIS scorers included Valentina Torrealba, who posted rounds of 81, 82, and 81 for a 244 total, and Lia Rody, who carded 76, 87, and 84 for a 247. Ira Joshi finished at 252 after rounds of 82, 83, and 87 to close out team scoring. Yi-Ting Hsieh competed in the lineup as well, recording 87, 82, and 85 for a 254.

Newcomer Fizreen Ahmadfadzir shot rounds of 96, 94, and 105 for a 295 total as an individual competitor.

Reflecting on the tournament, head coach Josh Edison expressed pride in the team's resilience and potential. "I'm so proud of Elaine and the way our team battled, never giving up out there. We showed in stretches that we can compete at the top of the conference, and now it's about putting it all together for 54 holes. Elaine stayed composed and delivered clutch shots to win the playoff, even after battling some adversity late."

Overall, the UIS women's golf team demonstrated its capability to contend with top competitors in the GLVC, finishing third in the tournament. This outing sets a solid foundation for the team as it continues the fall season, aiming to build on this performance and achieve even greater success in future competitions.

Up Next
UIS will head to the Kansas City area for William Jewell's Kansas City Cup on Sept, 22-23, hosted at Paradise Pointe Golf Complex.