Women's Golf | 2/14/2023 3:33:00 PM

Utah Tech came away with a third-place showing as the host of the weather-shortened Café Zupas Trailblazer Invitational on Tuesday at Green Spring Golf Course. The event marked the first in-season tournament the Trailblazers have hosted since making the transition to NCAA Division I status in 2020. 
 
After opening with a 24-over par 312 on Monday morning, Utah Tech tied for the low round of the tournament with a 15-over 303 on its afternoon loop to vault one spot from fourth place to third. However darkness forced second round play to be suspended until Tuesday morning with more than half the field still on the course.
 
Following the completion of the second round, the Trailblazers found themselves just five shots out of the lead at plus-39 615. Utah Tech managed to move into second place in the early going of round three, but heavy rain, wind, hail, and eventually snow, took its toll, forcing play to be halted with the entire field having played more than half of the final round.
 
California Baptist (305-305) was declared the team champion with a 36-hole score of plus-34 610, two shots clear of second place CSUN (309-303-312; +36), while the Blazers followed in third. 

Three Trailblazers finished in the top-10 on the player leaderboard, highlighted by freshman Brooke Gelinas, who joined two others tied for fifth at plus-6 150. After carding a first round 4-over 76, the freshman rolled in three birdies as part of a 2-over 74 in round two en route to her second collegiate top-five finish.
 
Meanwhile, fellow freshman Jane Olson rebounded from an opening 8-over 80 by firing a collegiate career low tying 1-over 73 in round two to place t-eighth at plus-9 153. Olson penciled in two birdies and 13 pars during her second loop, which allowed her to make the biggest move of any player on the leaderboard from t-26^th to her first collegiate top-10 finish.


Senior Abby Livingston (76-78) also came away with her second top-10 of the season as she tied three others for 10^th place at plus-10 154. Livingston led the Trailblazers with five total birdies, with four of them coming in round one on Monday. 
 
In addition, senior Grace Williams (81-78) finished in a pack of five players tied for 28^th at plus-15 159 and freshman Corinne Lillywhite tied for 44^th at plus-21 165. Two other Trailblazers played as individuals, with freshman Aubree Johnson (79-84) tying for 41^st at plus-19 163, and freshman Salina Lui (89-84) wound up t-54^th at plus-29 173 in her UT collegiate debut. Lui was also one of seven players in the 59-player field to record an eagle. 
 
Following a near three-week break, Utah Tech will tee it up at the Southern Utah Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational at Sunbrook Golf Course in St. George on March 9-11.