GOLF FINISHES 14TH AT MOUNTAIN VIEW

TUCSON ? Hannah Hoch and Maria Persson Gulda totaled a 54-hole score of 225 to both improve to a nine-way tie for 12th, but as a team, the Buffs shot 303-310-314-927 and couldn't play their way out of 14th place and finished there Sunday at their own Mountain View Collegiate. It's the program's lowest finish here since the inception of the tournament during the 1998-99 season.

“We have a young team with a lot of young talent, but we have a ways to go,” said head coach Anne Kelly. “Hannah and Maria both had three rounds of great ball striking, but were unable to convert some putts. They're both solid players that are well on their way to winning a tournament.”

Denver led from the opening drive to the final putt of the sixth annual satellite tournament, as the Pioneers shot +30 (296-292-306-894) for the tournament to become the sixth team to take home the trophy. DU finished eight strokes ahead of Iowa State (297-296-309-902) and Colorado State (308-292-302-902) which made the tournament's largest second to third round leap as the Rams were in seventh after Saturday's first two rounds.

Twelve strokes separated the top-20 finishers and Washington State's Kim Welch maintained her control of the leader board and took home medalist honors with a 2-under-par 70-71-73-214 for the win. She edged Denver's Emily Hoeper (74-72-71-217) and San Diego State's Jenna Wilson (72-71-74-217) by three strokes and Idaho's Cassie Castleman (71-73-75-219) by four.

Sunday's windy conditions dropped the individual round average from 76 to 79, and dropped the average team scores as well from 301 after Saturday's two rounds to 313 today, and unfortunately the Buffs were the rule rather than the exception.

Hoch's (75-73-77-225) final round 77 was her lowest of the tournament, but thanks to the trend, was able to improve four places from Saturday's second round 16th to 12th alongside teammate Persson Gulda (73-78-74-225), who was just one of two Buffs able to make second to third round improvements in her score as the sophomore was in 33rd after 36 holes, her 21 place improvement being the largest on the team. Hoch's finish was her best since a season opening eighth place finish in Fort Collins and Persson Gulda, her best effort since a 12th place showing in early February.

Allison Rella didn't get as lucky as her 78-77-82-237 dropped the junior from 57 to a three-way tie for 61st, her second lowest finish of the season and third of her career. Jessie Malcolm was able to hold on to a five-way finish for 73rd place, matching her standing going into the final loop, as her scorecard read 77-82-83-242.

After recording two of her strongest rounds of the season on Saturday, individual Jenn Footlik (79-79-87-245) fell from 70th to sole possession of 80th place, the toughest finish of her career. The second CU player to make second to third round strides was freshman Regina Rodriguez (84-83-81-248) who contributed to the team total for the sixth time of her career with a final loop 81, but succumbed to the winds and fell to 84th place.

Along with the changing of the clocks, Colorado will spring into April with one regular season tournament and the Big 12 Tournament left on their slate, the last two tournaments of the year to make any kind of last minute impression on the Division I Women's Golf Selection Committee.

For the first time in her seven years at the helm of the Buffs, Kelly really hasn't got a feel for the Buffs' postseason hopes, “I really don't have a good feel as to where we stand. We've been working hard and need to make that hard work pay off and have six solid rounds in these last two tournaments by making birdies and pars and staying away from big numbers.”

MOUNTAIN VIEW COLLEGIATE (Tucson, Ariz.)

1. Denver 296 292 306 894 +30

2. Iowa State 297 296 309 902 +38

Colorado State 308 292 302 902 +38

4. Int. Pacific College 300 305 301 906 +42

San Diego State 296 299 311 906 +42

6. Nebraska 307 293 309 909 +45

7. Kansas 297 302 311 910 +46

Washington State 298 301 311 910 +46

9. Portland State 295 300 318 913 +49

10. Idaho 301 306 308 915 +51

11. Kansas State 307 301 311 919 +55

12. Boise State 306 296 320 922 +58

13. Hawaii 307 296 322 925 +61

14. Colorado 303 310 314 927 +63

15. Louisville 306 314 312 932 +68

16. Northern Arizona 310 305 319 934 +70

17. Arizona 318 296 337 951 +87

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS

1 Kim Welch, Washington St. 70 71 73 214 -2

2 Emily Hoeper, Denver 74 72 71 217 +1

Jenna Wilson, San Diego St. 72 71 74 217 +1

4 Cassie Castleman, Idaho 71 73 75 219 +3

5 Christine Boucher, Kansas St. 73 75 72 220 +4

Kristen Campos, Colorado State 76 69 75 220 +4

7 Heather MacRae, San Diego State 75 72 74 221 +5

Lauren Gray, Northern Arizona 73 73 75 221 +5

Nozomi Hoshino, Int'l Pacific 71 75 75 221 +5

10 Lisa Kajihara, Portland State 73 72 77 222 +6

COLORADO PLAYERS

t-12. Hannah Hoch 75 73 77 225 +9

t-12. Maria Perrson-Gulda 73 78 74 225 +9

t-61. Allison Rella 78 77 82 237 +21

t-73. Jessica Malcolm 77 82 83 242 +26

80. *Jennifer Footlik 79 79 87 245 +29

84. Regina Rodriguez 84 83 81 248 +32

*played as an individual

TOP 10 INDIVIDUALS

COLORADO PLAYERS

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Players Mentioned

Jennifer Footlik

Hannah Hoch

Jessie Malcolm

Allison Rella

Colorado University Athletics