Golf team overcomes winter weather
Despite harsh winter conditions that forced limited practices, the Chadron State golf team finished sixth of eight in the two-day Thunderwolf Ladies Spring Invite tournament at Desert Hawk Golf Course in Pueblo, Colo., Sunday.
The Eagles fired a 358 in the first round Saturday and finished with a two-day total of 715 on the longest course that they will play at competing in the RMAC, said head coach Terri Connealy.
“The last two tournaments had late starts because of frost. But as long as the course is open, we play,” Connealy said.
Allison Rowden, junior of Broken Bow, Emilee Pilkington, freshman of Scottsbluff, and Caitlin Parker, senior of Rock Springs, Wyo., finished in the top 25 on Saturday.
Rowden led the Eagles, tied for sixth after shooting an 83 Saturday.
Pilkington took 13th with a score of 86. Parker finished 25th carding a 96 for the day.
Alissa Peterson, senior of Lusk, Wyo., shaved 11 strokes off her first day’s score. She shot an 85 Sunday for a tournament-total 181.
Rowden added 11 strokes to her first round of 83, finishing with 177 strokes for the invite.
The Mesa State College Mavericks led the tournament both days with a total of 661. The Mavericks had four of the top 10 individual finishers, shot a 661.
Montana State University-Billings, just 3 strokes behind, finished second.
The Eagles trailed Colorado Christian University by 4 strokes for the sixth place, but out-played Regis University and Oklahoma Panhandle State University and who placed seventh and eighth respectively.
Ashley Kurtz, junior of Valentine, Michelle Haynes, junior of Crawford, and Heather Lutter, junior of Valentine, also contributed, finishing with totals of 192, 195 and 218 respectively.
“I was pleased with the finish,” Connealy said, “We have not had the opportunity to practice because of the cold weather.”
The Eagles will not compete in the Nebraska-Wesleyan Invitational, Connealy said, but travel to Sioux Falls, S.D., for the Augustana University Invitational, April 9-10.
“We thought it would be too much since we are taking five girls to the RMAC championship in Phoenix, April 18,” Connealy said.