United Athletic Conference

Seattle U's Rivekka Jumagulova has been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Women's Golfer of the Week for September 15 through September 21.

 

Jumagulova, a freshman from Almaty, Kazakhstan, earned a top-3 finish in just her second collegiate tournament, shooting a 1-over-par 214 at the Coeur d'Alene Collegiate. She started the tournament with a 1-under-par 70 before shooting a 2-over-par 73 in the second round but then bounced back with an even-par 71 in the tournament's final round. She finished with nine birdies and 37 pars over the 52-hole tournament to help the Redhawks place sixth as a team at 33-over-par.

 

Other nominees: Dixie State's Tannica Porter recorded her first collegiate top-5 finish after tying for fourth with a 10-over-par 226 at the Kelsey Chugg Invitational in Eden, Utah … Grand Canyon's Siripatsorn Patchana tied for 14th at Wisconsin's Badger Invitational, shooting a 5-over-par 221 against a tough field … Sam Houston's Anna Takahashi was the top finisher for the Bearkats at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational, shooting a 4-over-par 220 to tie for third and help SHSU earn a second-place finish in the team standings … Utah Valley's Leighton Shosted led the Wolverines at the Coeur d'Alene Collegiate, shooting an 11-over-par 224 to tie for 35th.

 

A number of teams will converge upon Huntsville, Texas on Monday as Sam Houston hosts the Bearkatt Invitational but before that happens, Chicago State will tee off in its second tournament of the season on Sunday at the Briar Ridge Invitational in Shererville, Ind. Joining Sam Houston will be Chicago State, Grand Canyon, Lamar, Stephen F. Austin, Tarleton and UT Rio Grande Valley. NM State will also be in action, heading into Colorado's high country from the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Vail.

 

Sam Houston's Zulaikah Nasser continues to lead the WAC in stroke average at 71.0 per round. Teammates Jennifer Herbstand Anna Takahaski are close behind at 71.2 and 71.7 respectively. As a team, SHSU is first at 287.3, followed by California Baptist (294.0) and Seattle U (296.3).

 

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.