10/30- Women's Golf To Compete in Final Fall Event at Challenge at Wolfdancer

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois women’s golf team travels to Austin, Texas to compete in the Challenge at Wolfdancer, its final fall tournament, on Nov. 2-3. Texas State hosts the second annual event at the par-72 6,141-yard Wolfdancer Golf Club. Sunday’s action includes 36 holes beginning with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. CT followed by a final round on Monday beginning at the same time. Illinois finished fifth at this event last year, which propelled the team into a successful spring campaign where they notched two tournament victories. The Illini hope history will repeat itself as they look to bounce back from an 11th-place finish at the Lady Northern with a strong showing at Wolfdancer. “We had a good tournament at this event last year, and we just want to go down there and post three solid rounds to end the fall season on a good note,” head coach Renee Slone said. “We have been working on a few things over the last couple weeks, and everyone seems to be doing well in practice.” Freshmen Hailey Koschmann (76.33) and Samantha Sloan (77.83), the team leaders in stroke average, head up the tournament lineup along with senior Nancy Featherstone, sophomore Raquel Hopton and freshman Kaitlyn Wampler. Both Featherstone and Hopton competed in last year’s tournament and will be able to provide useful course insight since they have played on it before. Slone’s tournament roster is the fifth different lineup used during the fall. “We have had a different lineup at every tournament this year, which is the great thing about having nine players on the team,” Slone said. “We obviously want to take whoever is playing best at certain times, and each person has risen to the occasion at different points in time.” Illinois faces its largest tournament field of the season, consisting of 16 total participants and three Big Ten teams. Baylor, College of Charleston, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa State, Iowa, Kansas State, McNeese State, Michigan, Missouri State, Nebraska, last year’s winner Northwestern, Southern Methodist, Texas State and Texas Tech will take part in the 54-hole tournament along with the Illini. “It is a very competitive field, so we want to play well and finish as high as we possibly can,” Slone said. For coverage of the Illinois womens golf team at the Challenge at Wolfdancer, visit fightingillini.com for a full recap at the end of each days action. Fans also can follow the action live by visiting fightingillini.com and clicking on the Challenge at Wolfdancer “Livestats” link.