UCO Women’s Golf Places Second at Regional Invite

The University of Central Oklahoma’s women’s golf team finished second place at the Regional Invite this past Tuesday in Monkey Island, Oklahoma, along with two top-10 individual finishes.

The Bronchos posted a collective score of 892 over 54 holes, with round totals of 304, 288, and 300.

Leading the charge was a Layne Ailshe, who claimed second place individually. The sophomore from Fort Gibson fired rounds of 70, 69, and 75, recording career-low scores on the first two days.

She finished the tournament with a 54-hole total of 214 and contributed 13 par-saving putts in the final round.

Ailshe said, “I went into this tournament relaxed and confident, and my mental game was what got me through it.”

She added that putting well has been what has kept her performances strong throughout the season.

Grace Hall, a freshman from Austin, also earned a top-10 finish, placing ninth overall. She started with a first-round 76 before bouncing back with rounds of 71 and 74. 

Hall delivered a five-over-par 221 and recorded 10 par putts in Tuesday’s final round.

Junior Estela Castillo from Palma, Spain, finished 29th. She ended with rounds of 80, 72, and 76, totaling 228 strokes.

Castillo suffered an injury a few days before the event and was unable to practice until the warm-up round. She said that Sunday was a readjustment to playing with an injury.

She also added a team-high four birdies in the final round, highlighting her competitive finish. “I tried finding a balance of playing safe but with confidence,” said Castillo.

Scarlet Sturch ended the tournament in 33rd place with a final score of 230 (79-76-75). The junior from Durant also carded two birdies on the final day, marking her best round of the event.

MaKaylee Cowan closed out the scoring with a 234, placing 43rd individually. The junior from Yukon shot a 79 and 78 in the first two rounds and rebounded with a final-round 77 to finish on a high note.

The Bronchos will travel to Warrensburg, Missouri, next for the Mid America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Conference Championships April 20-22, kicking off their postseason campaign.