The University of Wyoming women’s golf team crafted its best all-around performance of the fall season during Saturday’s two rounds of the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate to sit fifth in the team standings at 614 (+38) after the first day. The Cowgirls shot 306 in the first round and 308 in the second, while fellow Mountain West competitor Fresno State leads the 19-team field at 580 (+4).
“It was great to see some consistency as a team and individually today,” UW head coach Josey Stender said. “We’ve been working hard on that this fall and have started to iron it out in the last couple events. We started both rounds great and finished both rounds great today. We had some ups and downs, but overall our whole body of work was much more consistent.”
UW’s 306 in the first round was its second lowest score of the fall, trailing only a 305 in the first round of the first tournament of the season, as the Cowgirls shot back-to-back rounds under 310 for just the second time this fall. Wyoming did not count a score over 80 in both rounds.
Junior Cowgirl golfer Emily Woodard hits a shot at a tournament earlier this season.
Junior Emily Woodard leads a tightly-packed Wyoming contingent at 151 (+7) in a tie for 17th after rounds of 75 (+3) and 76 (+4). Sophomore Samantha Stancato sits one stroke back in a tie for 20th after two rounds of 76 (+4), and freshman Tyler Barker is two strokes back of Stancato at 154 (+10) with two rounds of 77 (+5) in a tie for 30th. Fellow freshman Kathleen Kershisnik hit a 159 (+15), including a career low 78 (+6) in the first round, while senior Dana Zamprelli carded at 162 (+18).
“Emily and Samantha are both playing very well for us for the second tournament in a row,” Stender said. “They both had some really big mistakes on holes today, but didn’t let it fluster them. They were mentally tough and came back strong on the next hole.”
Sophomore Kristen Jensen and junior Stacey Blunt played as individuals and sit at 164 (+20) and 165 (+21), respectively. Jensen had one of the highlights of the day for UW, though, as she claimed a hole-in-one on the par three sixth hole. The hole-in-one was the first of her collegiate career and first for a Cowgirl during Stender’s eight seasons as head coach.
“Kristen [Jensen]’s hole-in-one was great to see because she is such great team member,” Stender said. “That is something she can cherish and now use as motivation to continue to improve.”
Competition concludes with 18 holes at 8:30 a.m. MT tomorrow.
“We are getting better at understanding our strengths and our weaknesses, so if we can continue to be confident and educated, we will continue to get better,” Stender said.
