Feb. 8, 2011
Complete Wildcat Invitational Results in PDF Format 
TUCSON, Ariz. - Gonzaga University's women's golf coach Brad Rickel liked what he saw during the opening tournament of the spring season that concluded Tuesday at a windy Wildcat Invitational at The Golf Club at Vistoso.
Unlike the first day when the wind was not a factor, steady 15 mph winds gusting to 25-30 mph saw scores soar a during Tuesday's final round.
The Bulldogs were able to move up one spot to 10th and finished ahead of a pair of nationally-ranked teams. The Bulldogs shot a final-round 320 for a 54-hole score of 927. The University of Washington, ranked 27th in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, was 11th at 929, and Oklahoma State University, 23rd in the NCGA rankings and 30th in the Golfweek/Sagarin poll, finished 13th at 944.
Host University of Arizona, ranked 9th by NCGA and 10th by Golfweek/Sagarin won the title with an 875, goo for a 1-stroke victory over No. 4/7 University of California.
Most golfers had to complete one or two holes early Tuesday morning after Monday's second round was halted by darkness.
The wind took its toll on the Bulldogs as only two golfers broke 80, Jessica Howe shooting a 78 for a 54-hole score of 234 and Tai Jade 'TJ' Kliebphipat a 79 for a 233 over the 6,250-yard, par 72 course. TJ finished tied for 40th while Howe tied for 44th. Victoria Fallgren, with a pair of 74s Monday, skied to an 83 for a 231 and a tie for 34th. Sage Suffecool shot 79-74-83 for a 236 and a tie for 49th and Stephanie Corey shot 81-79-80 for a 240 and a tie for 62nd.
Isabelle Boineau of Arizona captured medalist honors with rounds of 69-70-73 for 212, two shots better than a trio of runner-ups.
"It was unbelievably windy," Rickel said. "It was gusting 30 or better on a really hard course with really hard pin placements which made the course as challenging as you can get."
But he saw a lot of positive results for going to a tournament so early in the spring season with only having played five rounds of golf in the last few weeks since the second semester of school started.
"The scores were a little higher today, but we moved up a place and finished in front of a pair of Top 30 schools. I was proud of the effort, proud how we went about our business," Rickel said. "The entire team contributed, they were all focused and played the way we agreed we would play. They hung in there when the going got a little tough. I was proud about how we played so early."
Rickel said "we can still get better, but it was a team effort. Everybody stuck with it out there."
The Bulldogs will be right back in action next week at the Gold Rush at the Yorba Linda (Calif.) Country Club.
