Women's Golf | 3/22/2024 12:58:00 PM

Utah Tech returns to the course to play in the program's first-ever tournament in "The Peach State" at the Georgia State Invitational on this upcoming Monday and Tuesday, March 25-26.

The two-day, 54-hole event will be played at the Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek, Ga.

The 16-team field includes the Trailblazers and host Panthers along with Appalachian State, Bradley, Bryant, Dayton, Eastern Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, Lehigh, Little Rock, Memphis, Murray State, Queens, Seton Hall, Troy, and Truett McConnell.  

The five-player lineup for the Trailblazers will feature senior Grace Williams sophomores Brooke Gelinas and Jane Olson, and freshmen Samantha Phelan and Mia Cesarek. 
 
HEAD COACH LINDSEY STUCKI: Lindsey Stucki (Utah Tech, 2007) is in 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 Invitational 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 came away with an eighth place finish at the Southern Utah Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational, which was played this past March 7-9, at Sunbrook Golf Club in St. George. 
        After opening with a 26-over par 314 on their opening loop,, the Trailblazers bettered that by seven shots in round two with a 19-over par 307, though Utah Tech fell from ninth to 10^th place after 36 holes. However Utah Tech came back to fire a final round 16-over 304 to move up to eighth with a final team score of plus-61 925. 
        Gelinas (75-75-78) was the top Trailblazer finisher as she tied for 21^st at plus-12 228, while Olson (79-75-76) joined three others tied for 26^th at plus-14 230.
        Meanwhile Williams, who fired Utah Tech's low round of the event with a final round even par 72, wound up t-41^st at plus-18 234, followed by sophomore Jenna Anderson (79-79-80) and Phelan 81-79-78), who both tied for 51^st at plus-22 238. 
        Anderson was also one of 12 players in the 80-player field who carded an eagle, doing so during Saturday's final round.
        Two other Trailblazers played as individuals, with sophomore Corinne Lillywhie (81-73-79) placing t-35^th at plus-17 233, which included a second round 1-over 73, and Cesarek (77-79-80) tied for 47^th at plus-20 236. 
 
TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE: Through seven events this season, Williams leads the team with a 74.25 stroke average through 16 rounds with a team-best eight par or better rounds, while Gelinas (21 rounds) is second at 76.19 with two par or better rounds. Olson is third at 76.33 through 21 rounds with two par or better loops, followed by Phelan in fourth (76.93; 2 par/better rounds), and Cesarek in sixth (77.67; 1 par/better round).

NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will close out the 2023-24 regular season with an appearance at the Montana State Bobcat Desert Classic, which will be played on April 8-10, at The Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.