W-GOLF IN 12TH AT VEGAS SHOOTOUT

HENDERSON, Nev. - University of Colorado women's golfer Allison Rella carded a first round 75 and sits in an eight-way tie for 20th while the Buffs' fall season high 319 on their first loop has them in 12th place after the first round of the Las Vegas Shootout at the Anthem Country Club here Monday.

"We didn't putt well today," said head coach Anne Kelly. "We played well in yesterday's practice round, but the greens are big and fast and that really got to our younger players. We talked about not letting fear overtake your game, because once we started struggling, we started losing confidence. Hopefully there were some lessons learned here today."

New Mexico is shot an even par 288 and the Lobos are five strokes ahead of second place Oklahoma, which is coming off the team title at last week's Kent Youel Invitational in Oahu, Hawai'i. Colorado State's Trisha Quick blistered the first round with a 4-under-par 68 for the early lead, but is just four strokes separated the top four players as Quick is a single stroke ahead of UNM's Katrina Leckovic (69), Oklahoma's Lisa Meldrum (70) and Missouri's Maria Ohlsson (71).

Rella is CU's low score for the first time this season as the junior's first round 75 is her best round in two tournaments.

"For as well as Alli played, she still struggled. She told me that she figured out that she hit 38 shots and had 37 putts," laughed Kelly.

One of Kelly's stronger putters also struggled today as freshman Hannah Hoch is slowly returning to the player that emerged at the beginning of the season as her 78 is a manageable 10 strokes off the lead and well in her range to improve from her current 36th place standing. Maria Persson Gulda, who was CU's low score the last three tournaments, shot par on her front nine and four-putted the 10th hole, which shook her confidence, and is almost five strokes above her fall average with a first round 80.

"We were hitting the ball real well," said Kelly on the team hitting 15 greens in regulation.

Saying that maybe a change in the lineup was in order after last week's 12th place finish in Oahu, Kelly brought freshman Regina Rodriquez and sophomore Jessie Malcolm on board. The two carded an 86 and 89, respectively in their first tournament rounds in almost a month.

The second round of CU's final fall tournament will be played Tuesday and the final round Wednesday.

"We've now had two days on this course, so hopefully we won't play scared tomorrow. They need to read the putt and do the best they can and continue to hit the ball well."

LAS VEGAS COLLEGIATE SHOOTOUT (Las Vegas)

1. New Mexico 288-.......

2. Oklahoma 293-.......

3. Tennessee 296-

4. Missouri 299-

5. Colorado State 300-

6. San Jose State 303

7. Kent State 304-

8. UNLV 306

9. Hawai'I 310-

10. San Diego State 314-

11. UC-Irvine 317-