University Star

The Texas State women’s golf team continued its success for spring competition season this week with a third-place finish at the Brigham Young Entrada Classic.

The Bobcats have posted two, first-place and one, third-place finishes in St. George, Utah after three tournaments in the young season.

Texas State tallied a final round score of 302 to hold onto third place behind Wisconsin and No. 48 Oklahoma State.

This week, Texas State defeated two top-50 ranked schools with No. 44 BYU and No. 46 Tulsa.

Coach Mike Akers was pleased with his team’s performance but knows the Bobcats have not reached their full potential.

“I’m very satisfied with the way we played, but I believe we haven’t played our best yet,” Akers said.

Leading the way for the Bobcats was Krista Puisite, finance sophomore, who posted an 8-over-par score of 224 to tie for fourth place in the 79-competitor field.

Puisite was satisfied with her performance for the tournament. Puisite recorded her best score in the third round with a 1-over-par 73.

Caitlin Bliss, exercise and sports science senior, tied for 15th place with five other athletes at an overall score of 230.

Bliss said that her team could have played better but were content with its efforts during the two-day event.

Akers thought Puisite and Bliss played well with the course layout in their favor.

“They both did great,” Akers said. “The course was set up well for them. The course was tight which helped them because they have such good short games.”

Valdis Jonsdottir, interior design sophomore and Mara Puisite, computer information systems freshman, both tied for 30th place with scores of 235.

Puisite moved up in the standings in the final round of play with her 2-over-par 74.

Gabby de Reuck, accounting junior, was the third Bobcat to improve her score in the final round. De Reuck fired a 7-over-par 79 to tie for 54th.

Texas State registered a three-round score of 921, seven strokes back from first place Wisconsin. New Mexico State’s Demi Mak claimed the individual title with a 2-over-par 218.

The Bobcats’ next tournament is set for this Friday in Tucson, Ariz., at the Mountain View Collegiate before wrapping up the regular season in Waco.

Bliss believes the team’s play will help next month at the Southland Conference Championship.

“We’re going to have a lot of confidence,” Bliss said. “Hopefully, we get better and go in and win the conference tournament and advance.”