WASHINGTON, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's golf team won the inaugural Warrior Invitational on Tuesday afternoon at Orchards Golf Club. The Warriors did so in a field of nine schools and were paced individually by freshman
Claudia Portillo (Madrid, Spain / IES Ortega y Gassett), who claimed Medalist Honors for the first time in her young career.
"This was an exciting win for us!," said head coach
Larry Hamilton. "With it being the first tournament we've ever hosted, it just made it that much better. I'm really proud of everyone these two days! We had outstanding performances again from both our freshmen as they finished first and second, respectively."
Three tournaments into her time at WSU, Portillo has finished tied-for-12th, second and now first. This time around, she was joined at the top of the leaderboard by fellow rookie,
Ting-Yu Kuo (Taipei, Taiwan / Taipei Municipal Zhong-zheng Senior). Portillo carded a 148 (+4, 72-76) while the runner-up Kuo turned in a 150 (+6, 77-73).
Even better than Portillo, Kuo has been among the top 10 for all three of Wayne State's tournaments including tied-for-ninth, tied-for-10th and second. Kuo's 73 on day two of this event was deadlocked for the lowest of any player with Saginaw Valley State's Megan Thiravong and Ohio Dominican's Maria Briceno Vargas.
Portillo and Kuo pictured with their Warrior Invitational All-Tournament Team plaques.
Warriors in the top 15 didn't end there, though, as
Sophia Wygonik (Westland, Mich. / Livonia Franklin (Eastern Michigan)) and
Sabel Imesch (Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich. / Grosse Pointe South) got in on the action as well. Wygonik tied-for-11th with a 157 (+13, 80-77) and Imesch tied-for-13th with a 158 (+14, 79-79).
Orianna Bylsma (Montague, Mich.) rounded out the group for WSU in a tie-for-42nd with a 178 (+34, 92-86).
This victory marks the Warriors' earliest Team Championship in a season since Sept. 22-23 of 2018 when they won Ohio Dominican's Cumberland Trail Classic.
Next up on the schedule for Wayne State is the fourth Monday-Tuesday tournament in a row, Findlay's William Beall Fall Classic. The Warriors will be playing at the Findlay Country Club in Findlay, Ohio.
