CHANDLER, Ariz. – If it's the RMAC Championships, then the MSU Denver's women's golf team is playing its best.
Isabel Botero is in first place after shooting a 2-under par 70 and the Roadrunners are in third place in the team race after the first of three rounds at the Whirlwind Golf Club.
"Isa played so solid today," MSU Denver coach Stef Ferguson said. "She thought herself around the course probably the best she has so far, and she putted so well."
Botero had four birdies and only two bogeys while parring the remaining 12 holes on the course, which played to 6,015 yards. She has a one-stroke lead over UCCS teammates Julia Baroth and Dakotah Kreil.
Also within striking distance is MSU Denver's
Winnie Shaw, who shot 4-over Sunday and is tied for ninth
"Winnie also stayed steady throughout the entire round and had a ton of putts for birdies, but they just didn't fall," Ferguson said.
As a team, the Roadrunners finished at 21-over 309 for their third-best round of the season. They are 10 strokes behind first-place Colorado Christian and nine behind UCCS.
The story is similar to last year's RMAC Championships, when the Roadrunners were tied for first after the first day before finishing a highly-competitive fifth.
While Botero was 2-over on the front nine before playing the back nine at even par, her teammates played their best on the back nine – Shaw and
Sydney Eye were both 1-over, and
Courtney Lawler finished 4-over on the back.
Eye is in 21
st place after her 79, with Lawler 43
rd with an 84.
Eye finished with a flourish, with birdies on both 17 and 18.
"Overall the team had a great back nine and we are in a good position," Ferguson said. "Tomorrow is a new day, so we just need to reset and focus on one shot at a time again and forget about what happened today.
"If we can just eliminate a few more big holes we will be right there in it."
