SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Wichita State women's golf performed well in their season-opening tournament at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Missouri. Three individual Shockers found their way into the top-20, en route to a fourth-place team finish.
The Shockers totaled a team score of 882 with rounds of 290, 293, and 299, finishing 18-over par, and fourth place out of 17 teams. Oral Roberts took home the team crown, finishing one-under par. Transfers
Kate Tilma and
Anna Takahashi each recorded top-20 finishes with Tilma finishing tied for 5th with a total score of 215 (-1) and Takahashi tied for 13th with a score of 218 (+2). Sophomore returner
Mackenzie Wilson rounded out the top-20 with a two-way tie for 20th at 221 (+5).
The Shockers opened play on day one with a strong start, beginning the day in second place after some early birdies from Wilson, but quickly lost their top-2 spot and fell as low as seventh before rebounding and ending the first 18-holes strong, reclaiming second place and just one stroke off the lead through round one.
Wilson carried the club well for the Shockers in round one. She finished two strokes under, posting four birdies, good for a second place showing through the first 18-holes.
Tilma and Takahashi played well in round one. They each finished tied for 12th and at even par.
Redshirt freshman
Lauren Thiele was +4 in her first round of tournament competition as a Shocker.
True freshman
Hillary Currier was +10 for the round and collected her first collegiate birdie on hole 16.
Senior
Madison Slayton, junior
Sarah Lawson, and sophomore
Brooklyn Benn all competed as individuals in this tournament. In the first round, they carded scores of +6, +5, and +10 respectively.
STANDINGS THROUGH ROUND ONE
t-2nd.
Mackenzie Wilson: 70 (-2)
t-12th.
Kate Tilma: 72 (E)
t-12th.
Anna Takahashi: 72 (E)
t-36th.
Lauren Thiele: 76 (+4)
t-78th.
Hillary Currier: 82 (+10)
Team: 2nd, 290 (+2)
In the second round, an early birdie from Tilma boosted the Shockers into the top spot in the tournament, but bogeys early throughout the lineup knocked the Shockers back down into seventh place. Strong performances from Tilma and Takahashi in round two gave the Shockers a good push back, and they ended round two in a tie for third place.
Tilma was excellent in the second round. She finished two-under par to jump into a tie for fifth place as an individual behind three birdies. Minus a bogey on a par 5, she did not record a bogey or worse the rest of the round.
Takahashi bounced back from an early double bogey to finish the round at even par and tied for 8th.
Currier had a much-improved second go-around, finishing just one over for round two.
Individuals Lawson, Slayton, and Benn finished +10, +9, +6 for the round respectively.
STANDINGS THROUGH ROUND TWO
t-5th.
Kate Tilma: 72, 70 (-2)
t-8th.
Anna Takahashi: 72, 72 (E)
t-29th.
Mackenzie Wilson: 70, 78 (+4)
t-36th.
Hillary Currier: 81, 73 (+10)
t-73rd.
Lauren Thiele: 76, 84 (+16)
Team: 3rd, 290-293 (+7)
On the final day of the tournament, the front nine was not kind to the Shockers. Early bogeys bounced the Shockers out of their third-place spot, but the team would hold firm and ended the tournament with a solid fourth place finish.
Tilma and Wilson swung the club best for the Shockers in round three, each carding a one-over finish.
Takahashi also put together a solid final round, finishing at +2.
Individuals Lawson and Slayton each finished at +9 for the round, while Benn finished at +18.
ROUND THREE STANDINGS (FINAL)
t-5th.
Kate Tilma: 72-70-73--215 (-1)
t-13th.
Anna Takahashi: 72-72-74--218 (+2)
t-20th.
Mackenzie Wilson: 70-78-73--221 (+5)
t-57th.
Hillary Currier: 81-73-78--232 (+17)
t-70th.
Lauren Thiele: 76-84-79--239 (+23)
Team: 4th, 290-293-298--881 (+17)
Individuals:
t-72.
Madison Slayton: 78-81-81--240 (+24)
t-72.
Sarah Lawson: 77-82-81-- 240 (+24)
t-91.
Brooklyn Benn: 82-78-90--250 (+34)
FINAL TEAM STANDINGS
1st. Oral Roberts - 868 (+4)
2nd. Austin Peay - 878 (+12)
3rd. Californiia Baptist - 880 (+16)
4th. Wichita State - 881 (+17)
t-5th. Oklahoma City Univerisity - 890 (+26)
t-5th. UTEP - 890 (+26)
7th. Missouri State - 891 (+27)
t-8th. Creighton - 892 (+28)
t-8th. Wyoming - 892 (+28)
10th. Houston Christian - 896 (+32)
11th. Texas A&M - CC - 898 (+34)
12th. Omaha - 903 (+39)
13th. Loyola-Chicago - 920 (+56)
14th. Southern Illinois - 942 (+78)
15th. Lindenwood - 954 (+90)
16th. Western Illinois - 956 (+92)
17th. Drury - 964 (+100)
The Shockers improved greatly from their performance last year at Payne Stewart where they recorded a team score of 899 (+35) which put them in a tie for 6th. This was the team's best finish in a season opening tournament since the 2019-20 season where they also finished 4th at the Payne Stewart Memorial.
The women's golf team will next travel to the Gem State to compete in the Coeur d'Alene Resort Collegiate Invitational in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho from September 24-26.
