The UIS women’s golf team placed sixth at the GLVC Championship, completing three rounds of stroke play Friday and Saturday with a total score of 956 (314-322-320). The Prairie Stars finished 14 strokes behind fifth-place McKendree.
Elaine Grant led UIS with a tie for seventh, carding rounds of 78, 79, and a final-round 72 to highlight a strong Saturday comeback. Ira Joshi also turned in a solid performance, shooting 77, 80, and 79 to finish tied for 17th with a 236 total.
Valentina Torrealba recorded rounds of 78, 86, and 84 to finish tied for 37th (248), while Lia Rodyplaced 44th with a 251 (89-77-85) to round out the team scorers.
Erin Ahmadfadzir finished tied for 65th with rounds of 81, 97, and 91 (269), and Yi-Ting Hsiehplaced 69th with rounds of 96, 94, and 89 (279).
Indianapolis, Missouri-St. Louis, Maryville, and Lewis advanced to Sunday’s medal/match play semifinals.
“While the final result wasn’t what we were aiming for, this group competed well against a demanding Rock Hollow setup and tough weather,” said head coach Josh Edison, who just coached his first conference championship as the leader of the Prairie Stars. “We put ourselves in a strong position early, sitting near the top of the leaderboard after the opening round.
“Elaine delivered an excellent final round to give us a lift, and we saw solid contributions across the lineup. Ira played well, Erin posted a career-best round, Lia had a strong bounce back after a tougher spring, and Valentina was steady throughout.
“There is a strong foundation here. We’ll build on the positives and focus on finishing stronger moving forward.”
All-GLVC teams will be announced later this month. UIS now awaits NCAA regional selections, either as a team or with an individual qualifier. The East Regional is scheduled for May 4-6 at Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio.
