After opening the 2008 spring season with a win, the Wisconsin women's golf team heads to Rio Grande, Puerto Rico this weekend to compete in the Lady Puerto Rico Classic from Feb. 24-26.
The Badgers will face a strong field at the tournament, as 14 of the 18 teams competing there are ranked in the top 50 in the country, and six are ranked in the top 20.
The Classic will offer the Badgers an opportunity to gauge where they currently stand against other teams in the nation.
Coming out of winter, the Badgers have picked up right where they left off after a successful fall 2007 campaign, where they competed in five fall invitationals and finished in the top half or better in all competitions.
They will seek to build on their opening season win over Big Ten foe Indiana in the Westbrook Cup on Feb. 9-10.
The Badgers put in a solid display against Indiana to win 10-8 in stroke-play. The teams played a Nassau format, where each match counted as three points - one awarded for the front nine, back nine and overall score.
Their solid performances provided optimism, as all six golfers shot a 77 or better.
Junior Jeana Dahl shot a team-low score of 72, while senior Katie Elliot - who led the Badgers in scoring average this fall with 75.7 - shot a 73.
Junior Natasha Lopez shot a 74, while junior Isabel Alvarez returned with a 76.
Sophomore Kelsey Verbeten and freshman Carly Werwie both finished with a 77.
Werwie, a new addition to the team roster, comes with impressive credentials.
She joined the Badgers as a three-time All-State honoree at Kenosha Bradford High School. She is also a two-time WIAA State Champion and earned first-team all Southeast Conference honors all four years of high school.
However, in the Puerto Rico Classic Wisconsin will look to Elliot to spearhead the team.
She won the Iowa Invitational last fall - her second career victory - and looks set to add to that tally with her winning mentality.
The Badgers hope she will replicate her form this upcoming weekend.
