By Dawson Smith – Staff Reporter | Sophomore Isabella Cioe at Therese Hession Regional Challenge (Photo courtesy of SJSU Athletics)
The San Jose State women’s golf team wrapped up a demanding three-day stretch finishing No.13 at the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, finishing up Tuesday at Palos Verdes Golf Club against eight nationally ranked top-15 programs.
The overall winner of the event was UCLA women’s golf, which shot at an impressive (-8) overall.
The Spartans posted scores of 377, 376, 373, finishing at 1,126 (+37) overall.
Freshman Kleopatra Kozakiewicz led the Spartans for the week, finishing 48th at (+10). Kozakiewicz really made her stride on the par 5’s averaging 4.89 and shooting -1 overall on these holes throughout the event.
She impressively opened the tournament on Sunday, firing a 1-under-par 71 with six birdies, which briefly placed her tied for fourth after the first round.
The Spartans tallied 16 birdies as a team on day one.
Freshman Regina Roldan also stood out early, posting a four-over-par total across the first two rounds.
Roldan might have struggled on day three of the Therese Hession Regional Challenge, but her consistency was key for SJSU in their positions as she led the team with 33 pars throughout the event and was tied for position (27).
Her seven birdies through 36 holes put her tied for 27th at 146 total heading into the final day of competition.
Sophomore Isabella Cioe provided a key performance on Monday’s second day, finishing even-par 71 with six birdies.
Cioe was not included in the five-person lineup for the last two events SJSU’s women’s golf team attended. With her steady performance at this event, she should be a name to recognize going forward.
She was the only Spartan to finish par or better that day, helping the team stay within striking distance.
“Today we were led by Moa Andersson and Lotte Schuhr,” SJSU head coach Dana Dormann said.
Junior Moa Andersson and freshman Lotte Schuhr responded well on the final day, each shooting even-par 71s after struggling in the opening rounds.
Andersson climbed 13 spots in the standings to finish 63rd, while Schuhr moved up 10 positions to place 71st.
This type of activity that they showed on day three was the exact momentum they had during the fall schedule as they look to ride this into their next event.
Despite the late surge, costly mistakes hurt the Spartans’ overall finish. SJSU ranked second in the field in double bogey or worse and tied for fifth in total bogey during the event.
As a result, the Spartans 43 birdies didn’t do anything to adjust the outcome.
“We are going to build on the momentum we built here as we go on to next week and head into the desert,” Dormann said.
SJSU brought four underclassmen into this event and all of them showed why SJSU has them on the women’s golf team, showing the passion and fire to compete with the best.
Team morale improved throughout the tournament, proven by the Spartans posting their best round of the week on the final day.
The Spartans look to bounce back at the Alice and John Wallace Women’s Golf Classic, Feb. 14-16 at Monterey Country Club in Palm Desert, Calif.
