Women's Golf Travels to Rio Verde Invitational for Spring Opening Tournament

Friday, February 21

QUAIL RUN COURSE | RIO VERDE, AZ

18 Holes

University of Akron

Rio Verde Invitational

Photo by: Ernie Aranyosi

Women's Golf Travels to Rio Verde Invitational for Spring Opening Tournament

February 20 | Women's Golf

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Akron, Ohio – The University of Akron women's golf squad enters their first team tournament of the spring season at the Rio Verde Invitational on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 22-24.

The three-day, 54-hole event is hosted by Western Michigan at the Rio Verde Country Club's White Wing Golf Course, a par-72 that stretches 6,242 yards.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, the Zips will learn the lay of the land during their practice round which begins at 1 p.m. The following day, Friday, Feb. 21, Akron is scheduled to begin the 54-hole event on holes 9-11 at 4 p.m.

The Tournament's 18-team field includes host Western Michigan (host), Akron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Bowling Green, Boise State, Bradley, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Illinois State, Little Rock, Missouri State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Seton Hall, UMKC, Wichita State, Xavier.

The Akron women's golf team enters the Rio Verde Invitational after a successful Fall season and placing fourth overall at the MAC Match Play Challenge. Sophomore Jacinta Pikunas (Youngstown, Ohio) led the Zips with an undefeated performance, posting three wins. This season, Pikunas sports a 78.1 stroke average with a 73 (+1) low round score and 229 (+13)low 54-hole tournament total. Pikunas has one Top 25 finish this season.

Akron's starting five includes sophomores Pikunas and Ivana Shah (Mumbai, India) along with freshmen Jenn David (Hudson, Ohio), Jessica Hahn (Canton, Ohio) and Riley Dean (Lewis Center, Ohio).

Shah leads the team in scoring with a 75.58 stroke average and three Top 25 finishes. David and Hahn follow with 77.22 and 77.56 averages while Dean owns a 78.33 stroke average. David has two Top 25 finishes while all others have one each.

Last season, the Akron women's golf team finished 14^th overall with a (+54) 307-315 – 622 tournament total – last season'e event was shortened to 36 holes due to weather. Shah finished 17^th overall with a (+8) 75-75 – 150. Pikunas claimed individual runner-up honors with a 220 (+4) score in 2017-18.

Originally known as the East/West Rio Verde Invitational, the 2019 edition of the Rio Verde Invitational is in its 18th year. Host Western Michigan University, from Kalamazoo, Mich., won the inaugural invitational in the spring of 2003 with a score of 614. The event moved from a 36-hole to a 54-hole format in 2005. After two straight years at the Quail Run course, the tournament returns to the White Wing course for 2020.

Last year the tournament was shortened to 36 holes after snow storm forced the cancellation of the first round. Seton Hall nearly repeated as Rio Verde Champions but were edged out by three strokes by Xavier. The Musketeers won the tournament for the second time in its history after finishing with a total of 591 (+23). XU was in third after the first round but shot a 292 in the second to surpass Arkansas State and Boise State during the final round. Western Michigan's Claire Hernandez became just the second Bronco in the tournament's history to claim the individual medalist spot, joining Erica Bienek (2003). Hernandez opened with a 70 in the first round to take the lead and finished with a 72 for a 142, a tournament record for 36 holes, and a win by two strokes over Frankie Saban from Bradley.

Fans can follow the action via GolfStat Live Scoring.