April 9, 2002

LARAMIE, Wyo. -

Playing against some of the top teams in the Western United States, the Wyoming Cowgirls finished 19th out of 22 teams on Tuesday at the Utah Dixie Classic hosted by Brigham Young University. The tournament concluded on Tuesday with 27 holes. Wyoming shot a 996 total over the two-day event. UC Irvine captured the team title with a 54-hole total of 899.

Wyoming's top individual finisher was junior Kim Nissen, who tied for 46th out of 120 competitors with a three-round combined score of 238, 22-over par. The individual title was shared by UC Irvine teammates Walailak Satarak and Stella Lee, both shot two-under par totals of 214.

The format for the tournament is a little different than most college tournaments. Most collegiate tournaments feature two 18-hole rounds on the first day of competition followed by a final 18-hole round the second day. The Dixie Classic features 27 holes each day -- a round and a half on day one and a round and a half on day two.

"We had a great round on Monday, but Tuesday we struggled," said UW women's golf coach Jill Rettinger. "We played well for about three-fourths of the round on Tuesday, but then we took some big numbers down the stretch. Most of the mistakes were mental mistakes. We need to work on eliminating the bad hole from our rounds. For the most part, the girls were making a lot of pars, a few birdies and some bogeys, but at the end they lost focus on a few holes, and we didn't put the team score together that we wanted.

"Kim (Nissen) played a solid tournament. She began with a 76 and ended with a 76. Her 86 in the middle was a tough one for her, but the two 76s I know will provide her with a confidence boost heading into the remainder of the season."

The Utah Dixie Classic was played at the Sunbrook Golf Club in St. George, Utah. Three different courses at the Sunbrook Golf Club were utilized during the tournament -- The Point (5,734 yards), Woodbridge (5,787 yards) and Blackrock (5,927 yards). All three courses played to a par of 72.

The Wyoming women's golf team has two remaining tournaments on its regular-season schedule. UW will travel to Pocatello, Idaho on April 15-16 to play in the Idaho State Invitational. The regular-season schedule will conclude with the Mountain West Conference Championship in Sunriver, Ore., on April 22-24.

Wyoming Individual Results

Kim Nissen (Lakewood, Colo.)          Jr.  76   86   76 = 238 (+22) Tie 46th
Alison McGuire (Cheyenne, Wyo.)       Jr.  79   80   82 = 241 (+25) Tie 53rd
Katherine Crowley (Sugar Land, Texas) Sr.  77   86   87 = 250 (+34) Tie 85th
Ashley Cariveau (Rapid City, S.D.)    So.  87   89   91 = 267 (+51) 110th
Aryn Cariveau (Rapid City, S.D.)      So.  90   93   93 = 276 (+60) 113th

Final Team Standings

1   UC - Irvine       295  301  303 =   899 ( +35)
2   Idaho             299  306  303 =   908 ( +44)
3   San Francisco     306  299  304 =   909 ( +45)
4   Brigham Young     301  319  297 =   917 ( +53)
5   Denver            304  303  313 =   920 ( +56)
6   Colorado          310  309  303 =   922 ( +58)
7   Washington State  307  300  316 =   923 ( +59)
8   Colorado State.   306  306  314 =   926 ( +62)
    Nevada            310  314  302 =   926 ( +62)
10  San Diego State   303  320  310 =   933 ( +69)
11  Northern Arizona  313  327  312 =   952 ( +88)
12  Long Beach State  322  322  316 =   960 ( +96)
13  Boise State       332  315  319 =   966 (+102)
14  Montana           318  323  327 =   968 (+104)
15  Portland State    327  318  329 =   974 (+110)
    Idaho State       322  328  324 =   974 (+110)
17  Weber State       322  324  331 =   977 (+113)
18  Hawaii            334  322  331 =   987 (+123)
19  Wyoming           319  341  336 =   996 (+132)
20  Montana State     336  332  336 =  1004 (+140)
21  Mesa State        345  346  329 =  1020 (+156)
22  UC - Riverside    336  361  337 =  1034 (+170)