RIO VERDE, Ariz. — Wichita State opens the 2026 spring season Friday at the Rio Verde Invitational at Rio Verde Country Club.
 
Wichita State had an incredibly successful fall season, notching four top-five team finishes, including three in the top three. The four top-five finishes are the Shockers' most in a single season since 2017-18, when they recorded seven.
 
Mackenzie Wilson led the Shockers with a 74.7 stroke average in the fall, nearly a full stroke better than second-place Amelie Paul at 75.6.
 
In addition to leading the team in stroke average, Wilson paced the Shockers in birdies with 36 and top-20 finishes with four. Wilson posted three top-10 finishes, while Paul, Kate Tilma and Kayla Van de Ven recorded one apiece.
 
At last year's Rio Verde Invitational, the Shockers finished eighth with a team score of 899, 35 strokes over par. No Shocker finished in the individual top 20.
 
Fast Facts – Rio Verde Invitational
Dates: Friday, Feb. 20 – Sunday, Feb. 22
Host: Western Michigan
Location: Rio Verde, Ariz.
Venue: Rio Verde Country Club
Yardage: 6,602 yards
Par: 71
Format: Stroke play
Live scoring: Scoreboard
The Field: Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, Bradley, Butler, Central Michigan, Creighton, Illinois State, Kennesaw State, Loyola-Chicago, Missouri State, Oakland, Ohio, South Dakota, Utah Tech, Western Michigan, Wichita State, Xavier
 
Shocker Five:
 
Mackenzie Wilson (Sr.) – Fourth-year Shocker…Three top ten finishes in the first three tournaments of the year…Has competed in all 30 tournaments in her previous three years at WSU…Entered year No. 2 in Shocker history for stroke average in a career at 75.24, trailing only teammate Kate Tilma…Team best stroke average in two of the last three years
 
Brooklyn Benn (Sr.) – Fourth year Shocker…Competed in all ten tournaments in 2024-25…Recorded first career top-five finish at the Texas State Invitational on February 4, 2025…Won back-to-back Oklahoma Golf Association Women's Stroke Play Championships in 2024 and 2025
 
Manon Guille (Jr.) – First-year Shocker…Transferred from Abilene Christian…Played in 14 tournaments for the Wildcats, recording six top 20 finishes
 
Kayla Van de Ven (So.) – Second-year Shocker…Finished top 15 in the first two tournaments of the 2025-26 season…Joined the team in January of 2025, making a major impact in her lone semester of college competition…Competed in all six spring tournaments for the Shockers in 2025
 
Samantha Straight (Sr.) Second-year Shocker…Tied for 79^th at the Prairie Dunes Invitational in October while competing as an individual…Competed in three events her first season, highlighted by tying for 34^th at the Powercat Invitational on Sept. 10, 2024
 
Next Up
The Shockers return to Arizona to begin play in the Red Rocks Invitational on Mar. 13.