Hello Illini Fans!
Our team just wrapped up our spring break swing in Tucson, Arizona for the Mountain View Collegiate hosted by University of Missouri and Kansas State. After a long day of traveling from our tournament in South Carolina, our team enjoyed a fun day off before heading to play our practice round. What better thing to do in Arizona then go to the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch? We had a blast getting to feed some goats, deer, bunnies, ducks, lorikeets, and even stingrays. It is one experience I'm sure none of us will ever forget and that place was truly "the darndest place we'll ever visit!"
Later on in the day we arrived at each of our respective host families' houses. Each family was so welcoming and we cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. They had great stories to tell and we enjoyed having good conversations over dinner with each and every one of them. It was also great seeing them out on the course during the week to cheer us on!
On the first day of the tournament, we were all ready to give it our all and bring the positive energy! The weather was perfect and we all truly just enjoyed ourselves out there. There was no other way we would have wanted to spend our spring break than representing the orange and blue in another tournament. We all stuck to our commitments and played pretty solid out there. After the first round we shot a team total of 288 (Even par) and held the lead! Tristyn and Grace also played phenomenally with opening rounds of 69 (3-under)! As it was only our second time playing that course, we had a productive post-round team meeting where we got to share some new information we learned about the course with each other. Yet another way we try to continually improve ourselves and expand our knowledge.
The second day was a bit more challenging, but we kept our heads up and played hard. Towards the end of the round the temperature dropped and the wind picked up to speeds around 30mph making conditions tough for everyone. Scores were not as we had hoped but the team did a great job of making smart course management decisions and sending some positive waves and saguaro signs to each other. The team posted a 16-over team total of 304 and sat tied for 3rd going into the third and final day. After another productive post-round team meetings, we re-evaluated our game plan, celebrated the highlights of our rounds, and reminded ourselves that as long as we trust ourselves out there and have fun, we'll be successful.
Going into the last day, the weather was sunny and bright just like the first round but with a bit more wind. We all came into this final round knowing what we had to do. We stayed patient, positive, and aggressive. With a "no expectations" mindset, we played our hearts out. We finished with a final round score of 5-under 283 which was good enough to jump into first place! We all played our own respective games, played to our strengths, and it all payed off in the end. Tristyn and Grace also finished at a tie for second individually in the field of 80 players!
Bringing home the hardware felt amazing as our first win in Tennessee left us hungry for more and so ready to compete, and play hard. We were really close to bringing it home these last few tournaments and this time we really took in everything we learned and fully applied it onto the course. This win not only feels great because it is our second win this season and because we really wanted to play hard for our fellow Illini, Francis Edelen, who recently passed away. We played hard for our Illini family and this win was for him.
Heading back home, we have about three weeks before heading out to the Lady Buckeye Invitational and that means three more weeks to fine tune even more and prepare for this last stretch of tournaments for the year. We are so ready to go out there, represent the orange and blue, and keep writing our legacy.
Until next time, ILL!
Ali Morallos
