LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Behind an opening-round 21-over-par 309, the Utah Valley University women's golf team sits in a tie for seventh place after one round of play at the NM State Aggie Invitational on Monday at NMSU Golf Course in Las Cruces, New Mexico. 
 
The Wolverines will enter Tuesday's second round just 13 strokes back of the co-leaders – New Mexico State and Northern Arizona (296) – as well as ahead of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (310), UC Irvine (310), Northern Colorado (313), UT Arlington (314), South Dakota (317), North Dakota (317), Stephen F. Austin (320), UT Rio Grande Valley (323), and CSU Bakersfield (339) in the 17-team tournament.
 
Senior Kate Williamson leads the way for UVU at the event, as she sits in a tie for 15th place after carding a 4-over-par 76 on Monday. The Wolverine senior carded a total of 14 pars and four bogeys on her way to recording the opening-round 76.
 
Sophomore Bailey Henley too had a strong first round of competition for UVU, as she is currently tied for 27th with a 5-over-par 77. Senior Kaylee Shimizu, sophomore Nathalie Irlbacher, and freshman Victoria Estrada are next for Utah Valley, as they are all tied for 41st place at 6-over-par. The trio of Wolverines all posted 78s on the day and Irlbacher and Estrada led the way in birdies by carding three apiece. 
 
Four players are tied for individual medalist honors at 2-under-par (70) in Northern Arizona's Eliska Kocourkova, South Dakota State's Teresa Toscano, Southern Utah's Pluem Yongyuan, and UTEP's Audrey Haddad. 
 
The three-day, 54-hole NM State Aggie Invitational will continue on Tuesday with a shotgun start beginning at 8 a.m. MT. The tournament will then conclude on Wednesday. Live scoring can be followed by visiting GolfStat.com.