TUCSON, Ariz. – The Little Rock women's golf team continues its spring schedule this week against one of the strongest fields it will see all season, competing at the Arizona Thunderbird Collegiate beginning Monday and concluding Tuesday.
Top-ranked Stanford headlines a loaded field that features several nationally ranked programs, including Arizona State (No. 18), Oklahoma State (No. 20) and Baylor (No. 21). Additional top-50 teams in the tournament include Texas Tech (No. 47) and Colorado (No. 48).
"This will be a big challenge for our team," Little Rock head coach
Jenna Birch said. "There are some great teams playing, but these are the kinds of tournaments we schedule to prepare us to compete in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament at the end of the season."
The Trojans opened their spring campaign with a ninth-place finish at the Advance Partners Collegiate in Florida, an event that featured unseasonably cold conditions throughout the week.
"That was a good start to the season and a performance we can build on," Birch said. "We hope to play even better this week, and we will need to against tough competition."
Sophomore lara Martin led Little Rock in the season opener, finishing 12th overall and earning Ohio Valley Conference Female Golfer of the Week honors.
"She played very well and has worked really hard to compete like that," Birch said. "That is a long time coming for her."
After battling challenging weather conditions last week, the Trojans are expected to see a much different environment in Tucson, where Monday's high is projected to reach 84 degrees—just three degrees shy of a record high.
Little Rock will continue its spring season next week at the Great River Cup in Gulfport, Miss.
THUNDERBIRD INTERCOLLEGIATE FIELD
- Arizona (#22)
- Arizona State (#18)
- Baylor (#21)
- Brigham Young
- Cal Poly
- Charlotte
- Colorado (#48)
- Grand Canyon
- LITTLE ROCK
- Marshall
- Oklahoma State
- Seattle
