United Athletic Conference

Seattle U's Rivekka Jumagulova has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Golfer of the Week for October 7 through October 12.

 

Jumagulova, a freshman from Almaty, Kazakhstan, earned her first collegiate win at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, firing a 5-under-par 211 to win the tournament by four strokes. She opened up the tournament, which was hosted by Seattle U, with a 2-under-par 70 before shooting a 1-over-par 73 in the second round. She saved her best for last, using a 4-under-par 68 to clinch the top spot and lower her stroke average to 72.5 on the season. As a team, the Redhawks also took the team title, finishing four strokes ahead of second-place Santa Clara.

 

Other nominees: California Baptist's Jocelyn Chee finished in second place at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, shooting a 1-under-par 215 to finish four strokes out of the lead … Grand Canyon's Siripatsorn Patchana used a 3-under-par 69 in the final round of the Ron Moore Intercollegiate to tie for ninth with a 2-under-par 214 against a talented field … Tarleton's Sofia Rodriguez recorded her fourth career top-10 finish and first of the season, shooting a 3-over-par 219 to tie for 10th at the Lady Red Wolves Classic … Utah Valley's Leighton Shosted led the Wolverines to a third-place finish at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, shooting a 3-over-par 219 to take fourth individually. 

 

It's a light week around the WAC with just three teams in action across three time zones. UT Rio Grande Valley kicks off the competition on Saturday at the Pat Bradley Intercollegiate in Sarasota, Fla. Chicago State and Tarleton begin competition on Monday, with the Cougars heading to Evansville, Ind. for the Charles Braun Intercollegiate and the Texans traveling to Fort Collins, Colo. for the Colonel Wollenberg Ptarmigan Ram Classic.

 

Sam Houston's Jennifer Herbst is the leader in the WAC in stroke average at 71.3 strokes per round. Teammate Zulaikah Nasser is second at 71.8, followed by CBU's Jocelyn Chee in third at 72.2. As a team, SHSU is also the top squad with a 289.7 stroke average. Grand Canyon is second at 293.8 followed by Seattle U in third at 295.2.

 

The WAC will be in a unique situation this season with two teams having earned automatic qualifications to NCAA Regionals in May. NM State will be the defending WAC champions, having won the 2021 Championship by seven strokes at Boulder Creek GC before earning a top-10 finish at the NCAA Albuquerque Regional. Sam Houston also earned an automatic selection after winning the Southland Conference Championship by 19 strokes over Central Arkansas. The Bearkats were unable to compete in the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional after wet weather made the course unplayable. Senior Hanna Alberto still advanced to the NCAA Championship, becoming the first SHSU golfer to play at the final site.  

 

On Jan. 14, the WAC announced the addition of five new schools in the upcoming years. Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and Southern Utah were all offered and accepted membership invitations. With the addition, the WAC now has six schools in Texas, more than any other conference in the country, and will have three schools in Utah, also a national best. The four Texas schools joined the league on July 1, 2021 and Southern Utah will follow 365 days later, officially joining the WAC on July 1, 2022.

 

Originally the site for the canceled 2020 WAC Women's Golf Championship and for the first time since 2004, the WAC Championship heads to Texas as Riverhill Country Club in Kerrville will play host to the conference tournament on April 18-20, 2022. Designed by Byron Nelson and Joe Finger, Riverhill has been host to over 40 USGA and Texas Golf Association events.