LARAMIE, Wyo. (Sept. 28, 2017) -- After an impressive debut to the 2017 fall season, the Cowgirl Golf team will make its way to Palm Desert, Calif., for the Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate this weekend. UW will host the tournament for seventh-consecutive season at the Classic Club.
 
A total of 13 teams will compete on the par 72, 6,097-yard course at the Classic Club. The first two rounds will commence on Saturday with an 8:30 a.m. MT shotgun start, with Sunday's final round beginning at the same time.
 
"The Classic Club is a great golf course and sets up well for competitive women's golf," Cowgirl head coach Josey Stender said. "Our team enjoys playing there and likes the setup they have, which gives us a little extra confidence. This tournament will have similar teams as last year. A lot of them are regional to us, so there will definitely be some familiarity with who we are competing against."
 
The Cowgirls are coming off an eighth-place finish at the Colonel Wollenberg Ram Classic, where senior Gabrielle Gibson led the team claiming fourth place. Gibson recorded a 212 (-4) during the three-day tournament to set the lowest individual event score in Cowgirl history. Wyoming finished the event with an 888 (+24), which became the lowest team 54-hole event score in program history after beginning the tournament with a first-round score of 291 (-3) to tie the program's lowest team round.
 
Junior Sarah Hankins finished with a 78 (+6) on the final day in Fort Collins to give her three-day total to 224 (+8) and a share of 39th. Sophomore Erin Sargent tied for 49th with a three-day total 227 (+11), while junior Megan Knadler finished one shot behind Sargent to tie for 58th. Redshirt freshman Caitlyn Skavdahl posted a third-round 75 (+3) to complete her first collegiate tournament with a 229 (+13), as redshirt sophomore Kaylee Knadler fired a 76 (+4) during the third round to give her a total score of 227 (+11) and tie with Sargent for 49th. Freshman Jordan Remley posted a 78 (+6) during the third round to close out her first tournament at 229 (+13).
 
"We aren't trying to veer too far from what has been working," Stender added. "The heat will be a factor and we know we'll have to take care of that part of our game as well. We have had about a week's worth of practice where we've tried to base the specifics on what we know we will see out in Palm Desert."
 
Wyoming placed fifth of the 12 teams at last year's tournament at the Classic Club. UW had three golfers place among the top-25 and recorded a 54-hole total of 906 (+42). They were led by former Cowgirl Mackenzie Barrie, who tied for 15th. Barrie finished with a 224 (+8), as Sargent notched the best finish of her young career. She tied for 20th in the 69-golfer field and saved her best round for last when she posted a 73 (+1) during the final round for a total of 227 (+11). Gibson was the final Cowgirl in the top-25, as she tied for 24th. Gibson also hit a 73 (+1) during the final round and finished with a 229 (+13). Megan Knadler posted a 79 (+9) in the third round for a three-round total of 242 (+26), while Hankins recorded career-best 72 (E) during the second round before a 74 (+2) during the third and final round.
 
2017 Wyoming Cowgirl Desert Intercollegiate
Course: The Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif.
 
Field: Wyoming, Northern Arizona, Santa Clara, UC Riverside, Hawaii, UT Arlington, Southern Utah, CSUN, CSU Bakersfield, Utah Valley, North Dakota, Montana, CSU Fullerton.
 
Format: Both days will begin with an 8:30 a.m. MT shotgun start. The field will play two rounds of 18 holes on Saturday and one final round of 18 holes on Sunday.
 
Looking Ahead: The Brown and Gold will compete in the Denver Ron Moore Intercollegiate in Highlands Ranch, Colo., on Oct. 6-8.