Aztecs Playing in BYU's Riverside Classic

SAN DIEGO – The Aztec women's golf team will play in BYU's Riverside Classic next week, playing 36 holes Monday and the final 18 Tuesday. This will be SDSU's final regular season tournament before the Mountain West Championships April 18-20.
 
It's a small tournament field that features just eight schools and no power five programs. The Aztecs will be going up against BYU, No. 37 Denver, Fresno State, New Mexico State, Northern Illinois, Sacramento State and Utah Valley.
  
The Aztecs will roll out a starting five of April Ranches, Anika Sato, Bernice Olivarez Ilas, Andrea Gomez and Anna Lina Otten. Additionally, Sammy Lee will be competing as an individual.  
 
April Ranches, a fifth year senior from San Diego, earns her first start since the Causeway Invitational Feb. 27-28. She has two top 35 finishes on the year.
 
Sato (Utsunomiya, Japan) led the Aztecs at the Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic in Georgia, shooting a four-over-par 148 with a 71 in her final round. She is averaging 75.6 strokes per 18, good for second on the team.
 
Olivarez Ilas (Ayala Alabang, Philippines) leads the team with an 18-hole average of 74.3 strokes. She has led the Aztecs in five of their eight tournaments this season and has three top-15 finishes on the year.
 
Gomez (Huixquilucan, Mexico) has the second highest count percentage on the team (.889, 8-9).
    
Otten (Neuss, Germany) tied for second among Aztec golfers in their last tournament with a 155 (+11). She is third on the team, averaging 76.5 strokes per 18.
Lee (San Ramon, Calif.), one of three seniors on the team, has started all eight tournaments for the Aztecs. In the final tournament of the fall, she had a career-best performance, shooting a 223 at the Hurricane Invitational.
 
The tournament will be played in Provo, Utah (elevation 4,549 feet) at the Riverside Country Club, which is 6,520 yards and plays as a par 72.
 
The Aztecs have played four spring tournaments, and have dealt with rain in every tournament, causing many pauses in play and three canceled rounds. However, the forecast in Provo is dry with sunny skies and temperatures reaching the high-60s.