The Wayne State College Wildcats traveled to Litchfield Park, Arizona to compete in the Southern Minnesota State University Spring Invitational on March 7 and 8 and won the SMSU Challenge March 9 and 10.  

The Wildcats shot rounds of 309 and 327 for a 36-hole team score of 636 at the Wigwam Resort Blue Course Thursday and Friday, March 9 and 10.  

The Wildcats won the eight-team event by 10 strokes (636) over the Ashland University Eagles (646) who came in second place.  

Coming in third place was host Southwest Minnesota State shooting a 650. Just behind the Mustangs shooting a 653 was the Chadron State Eagles placing fourth. Placing fifth shooting 658, was Concordia-St. Paul, in sixth shooting 709 was Minot State, shooting 730 was Minnesota Crookston and in last place shooting 735 was Bemidji State.  

The WSC Wildcats top scorer was freshman Saffire Sayre shooting a 154 and placing second overall. She shot rounds of 72 and 82. Coming in third overall was junior Jazmine Taylor shooting a 155 with rounds of 79 and 76.  

Rounding out the team in 14th place was junior Abbey Kurmel shooting a 165 with rounds of 82-83. 

Viktoria Bortkiewicz-Hamelin golfed as an individual. She shot a 180 with rounds of 88 and 92. 

Earlier in the week the Wildcat women’s golf team placed seventh at the SMSU Spring Invite Tuesday, March 7 and Wednesday, March 9 at the Wigwam Resort Red Course. In their first meet of the spring, the Wildcats went rounds of 325 and 316 in a 36-hole team tournament with a score of 641. 

Coming in first was Western New Mexico with rounds of 293 and 306 for a team score of 599. In second place was Missouri Western with rounds of 306 and 310 for a team score of 616. Chadron State placed third shooting 624 and in fourth place was Westminster College of (Utah) shooting a 628.  

Finishing closely at fifth and sixth place was Minnesota State shooting 630 and Southwest Minnesota State shooting 634. The WSC Wildcats finished seventh shooting 641. Minot State scored 674 coming in eighth, Concordia (Nebraska) scored 725 coming in ninth place and in last place Bemidji State scored 727.  

Taylor and Sayre tied for 16th place shooting a 158. Taylor shot 79 both days and Sayre shot 78 and 80. 

Shooting rounds of 84 and 78 was sophomore Abby Brodersen, who tied for 26th shooting 162. She shot three birdies in Wednesday’s round of 78. 

Coming in 33rd place was Tricia Hemann, who shot rounds of 86 and 78 shooting 164 in total. 

Bortkiewicz-Hamelin came in 43rd with rounds of 86 and 82 shooting 168 in total.  

The Wildcats’ women’s golf team play Monday April 3 and Tuesday April 4 in Newton, Kansas in the Newman Spring invitational.