Women's Golf | 10/6/2023 1:09:00 PM

Utah Tech women's golf returns to action early next week at the 2023 Eastern Washington Eagle Invitational. The three-day, 54-hole event will be played this upcoming Monday and Tuesday on the par-71, 6,028 Indian Canyon Golf Course in Spokane.

The 10-team tournament field will include the Trailblazers along with Big Sky members Weber State, Idaho, Idaho State, Montana State, Northern Colorado, and the host Eagles, as well as WAC member Utah Valley, CSUN, and Gonzaga.

The five player lineup for the Trailblazers will feature senior Grace Williams, sophomores Jane Olson, Brooke Gelinas and Jenna Anderson, and freshman Mia Cesarek.

HEAD COACH LINDSEY STUCKI: Lindsey Stucki (Utah Tech, 2007) begins her eighth season as head coach of the Trailblazer women's golf program. Last season, Stucki led the Trailblazers to six top-10 team finishes, highlighted by a third-place showing at their own UT/Café Zupas Inv'l, along with a seventh-place showing in their WAC Championships team debut.  
        During her tenure as Utah Tech head coach, Stucki has guided the Blazers to a runner-up Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference team finish in 2019, and to consecutive fifth-place finishes at the Pacific West Conference Championships in 2017 and 2018. 
        Prior to her arrival at Utah Tech, she served as assistant golf professional at the Sand Hollow Golf Resort, and as an LPGA assistant teaching professional for the City of St. George. Stucki also spent two seasons on the coaching staff of the Hurricane High School girl's golf program, including a one-year stint as the Tigers' head coach in the 2010-11 season. 
        Stucki, who is an apprentice member of the LPGA T&CP, played collegiately at the University of Central Arkansas, where she helped lead the Bears to six-consecutive team tournament wins and a Gulf South Conference championship.
 
LAST TIME OUT: Utah Tech finished in a two-way tie for 10^th place at the Big Sky Conference-hosted "Big Sky 54 for IX Celebration Tournament," which was played this past Sept. 25-26, at TalonsCove Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, Utah. 
The Trailblazers found themselves in 11^th-place after opening with a 15-over par 303, and would remain there following a 9-over 297 in their second loop. Utah Tech went on to fire a final round 7-over 295 to move up one spot to join Montana (298-299-298) at plus-31 895. 
        Sacramento State (280-288-279-847; -17) rode a final round 9-under 279 to cruise to the team title, besting runner-up Northern Arizona (289-288-284-861; -3) by 14 shots. 
        Williams posted her first top-20 individual finish as a Trailblazer to lead Utah Tech's effort. Williams, who wound up ranked t-10^th in the field in pars (38), opened with a 1-over 73, then chased it with an even par 72 and a final round 2-over 74 to join three others tied for 19^th at plus-3 219.
        Olson, who also carded 38 pars over her three rounds, bookended a pair of 3-over 75s with around a second round 72 to finish in a six-way tie for 31^st at plus-6 222, while Anderson rebounded from an opening 6-over 78 with a second-round 75 and a final round 73 to place t-52^nd at plus-10 226.
        Gelinas (77-78-73) followed in t-57^th at plus-12 228, and freshman Samantha Phelan (78-79-75) tied for 67^th at plus-16 232 to close out UT's scoring. 
Two other Trailblazers played as individuals, Cesarek (74-77-71-222; +6) carding in UT's low round of the event with a final round 1-under 71 to join Olson in t-31^st, and sophomore Corinne Lillywhite (83-83-78-244; +28) finished 86^th. 
 
TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE: Through two events this fall season, Williams leads the team with a 72.33 stroke average through six rounds with a team-best four par or better rounds, while Cesarek is second 74.00 after her first collegiate event. Olson is third in stroke average at 74.17 through six rounds, followed by Gelinas in fifth at 75.33, and Anderson in sixth at 75.50 after two tourneys. 

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will wrap up its 2023 fall slate on Oct. 16-17, when the Trailblazers head to the East Coast to play at the Charlotte Invitational. The 54-hole event will be played at Cabarrus Country Club in Concord, N.C.