By: Clint Neumann
BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – The University of Sioux Falls women's golf team placed seventh at the NSIC Preview, held March 30–31 at Adams Pointe Golf Club. The Cougars posted a two-round total of 639 (+63), improving significantly in the second round after opening with a 329 (+41) on day one and following with a 310 (+22) to close the tournament.
Sioux Falls showed resilience and growth across the two days, cutting 19 strokes from round one to round two. The strong finish highlighted the team's ability to adjust and compete down the stretch, with multiple Cougars turning in improved scores on Tuesday. Tanna Phares and Abbie Ritzer paced the lineup, each finishing at +12 and +13 respectively.
Tournament Snapshot
- Top Cougar Finish: Tanna Phares – T-15 (+12, 81-75=156)
- Lowest Round: 75 (Tanna Phares, Gwen Latunski – Round 2)
- Team Best Round: 310 (+22)
- Tournament Champion: Missouri Western (+26)
- Number of Teams: 12
How It Happened
The Cougars opened the tournament with a challenging first round, carding a 329 (+41) as they navigated the 5,904-yard course. Despite the early struggles, Sioux Falls remained within striking distance of the middle of the pack heading into the final round.
On day two, the Cougars responded with one of the more improved rounds in the field, shaving 19 strokes to post a 310 (+22). The lineup saw balanced contributions throughout, with four players improving their scores from the opening round. That late momentum allowed Sioux Falls to solidify a seventh-place finish and build confidence heading into the final stretch of the season.
Top Cougar Performers
Phares led the way for Sioux Falls, finishing tied for 15th with a two-round total of 156 (+12). After an opening round of 81, she bounced back with one of the best rounds of the tournament for the Cougars, firing a 75 (+3) to climb the leaderboard.
Ritzer followed closely behind, tying for 21st at 157 (+13). She opened with a 78 and added a 79 in the second round to deliver a consistent performance across both days. Gwen Latunski also turned in a strong showing, finishing tied for 31st at 160 (+16), highlighted by a second-round 75 that matched the team's low round of the event.
Sophia Karsnia and Avery Nelson rounded out the scoring lineup, each finishing at 166 (+22) and 169 (+25), respectively, contributing to the Cougars' improved team performance in round two.
Cougar Scorecard
Tanna Phares – T-15 – 81-75 – 156
Abbie Ritzer – T-21 – 78-79 – 157
Gwen Latunski – T-31 – 85-75 – 160
Sophia Karsnia – T-45 – 85-81 – 166
Avery Nelson – T-56 – 85-84 – 169
---------------
Bryn Huber – 14 – 79-76 – 155
Cecelia VanDenTop – 69 – 92-93 – 185
Coach's Corner
"We had a better day today than Monday, but we still need to learn to finish a round. We have two more tournaments before we go back to Adams Point for the conference tournament. Hopefully, we get a few things worked out."
- Head Coach Wade Merry
Up Next
Sioux Falls returns home for the Augustana Invitational on April 6–7 at Elmwood Golf Course in Sioux Falls, S.D., where the Cougars will look to build off their improved final round performance.
Stay Connected
For all things USF Golf, be sure to download the USF Cougars app as well as follow along on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Be the first to know what's going on inside USF Athletics by subscribing to our Weekly Newsletter!
