Women's Golf | 4/6/2024 8:04:00 PM
Utah Tech will close out the 2023-24 regular season with an appearance at the Montana State Bobcat Desert Classic this upcoming Monday-through-Wednesday. The 54-hole event will be played at the par-72, 6,279-yard Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.
The 17-team field includes the Trailblazers along with fellow WAC members California Baptist, Grand Canyon, Seattle U, UTRGV and Utah Valley. In addition, Boise State, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Idaho State, Portland State, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Washington State, Weber State and the host Bobcats round out the field.
The five-player lineup for the Trailblazers will feature senior
Grace Williams sophomores
Brooke Gelinasand
Jane Olson, and freshmen
Samantha Phelan and
Mia Cesarek. In addition, sophomore
Corinne Lillywhite will play as an individual.
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 a ninth-place showing at the weather-shortened Georgia State Invitational, which was played this past March 25-26, at Rivermont Golf Club in Johns Creek, Ga.
After opening with a 25-over par 313 during their morning round, the Trailblazers came back with a 20-over 308 after their second loop to stand in ninth at plus-45 621, and only five shots out of the top-five.However heavy rains in the Atlanta area forced the cancellation of the final round.
Four Trailblazers wound up within four shots of each other on the player leaderboard, led Williams, who fired consecutive 5-over 77s to finish in a five-way tie for 26
th at plus-10 154.
Phelan rebounded from an opening 8-over 80 with a second round 3-over 75, Utah Tech's low round of the event, en route to a t-31
st showing at plus-11 155, followed by Gelinas (78-78) in t-36
th at plus-12 156, Cesarek (79-78) in t-41
st at plus-13 157, and Olson (79-84) in t-66
th at plus-19 163.
TRAILBLAZERS AT A GLANCE: Through eight events this season, Williams leads the team with a 74.56 stroke average and one individual top-10 through 18 rounds with a team-best eight par or better rounds, while Gelinas (23 rounds) is second at 76.35 with two par or better rounds. Olson is third at 76.78 through 23 rounds with two par or better loops, followed by Phelan in fourth (77.00; 2 par/better rounds), Cesarek in sixth (77.79; 1 par/better round), and Lillywhite in seventh (79.00).
NEXT UP FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS: Utah Tech will wrap up the season at the 2024 Western Athletic Conference Women's Golf Championships, which will be held April 19-21, at The Rim Golf Club in Payson, Ariz.
