The UW-Whitewater women’s golf club surpassed the 33-year-old school record for best 36-hole score en route to the a sixth-place finish in the 17-team Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic in Normal, Illinois on Sept. 16-17.

The Warhawks’ came out firing on all cylinders on day one of the IWU Fall Classic, posting a team score of 305 which earned them sole possession of second place after the first day.

Sophomore CheyAnn Knudsen and junior Maddie McCue led the way on Saturday, posting scores of 74 and 75, respectively. 75 was a season low for McCue.

Head coach Andrea Weiland was encouraged by her teams’ performance on Saturday.

“We putted well, short game was good and if we weren’t hitting the greens, we were still going up and down,” Weiland said. “The girls’ attitudes were great and things were really going our way.”

However, Sunday presented some problems for the Warhawks. Weiland attributed the higher scores to a rocky start.

“We dug ourselves a hole and it was tough to bounce back,” Weiland said. “The mental game always comes into play when you get off to a rough start, which can make it tough to make up strokes.”

The weather elements contributed to the higher scores as well, with an increase in wind and firmness of the course.

“Wind can be the most frustrating element for golfers, especially when it changes direction like today,” Weiland said.

UW-W posted a score of 328 in the second round, with a total of 633 for the tournament.

The Warhawks were led by another solid tournament from CheyAnne Knudsen. Knudsen has been at the top of leaderboards most of this young season and has been a clear top performer thus far, posting another strong 36-holes this weekend.

Knudsen posted scores of 74 and 77, earning her a 9th place in the individual rankings while posting the lowest score on the team. Coach Weiland commented on Knudsen’s strong play as of late.

“She has very sound fundamentals with great mechanics,” Weiland said. “Her positive self-talk and mental game allow her to be steady player that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes.”

Sophomore Ashley Hofmeister (78-82) and McCue (75-85) both came in to the clubhouse tied for 25th place, finishing with a final score of 160.

Junior Kaitlin Bowe (78-85) finished tied for 36th with 163 strokes.

Sophomore Kelly Storti (81-84) finished tied for 46th with 165 strokes.

The Warhawks will host the UW-Whitewater Fall Classic at Blackhawk Country Club in Madison, Wisconsin on Sept. 22-23.