BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – The Arkansas Tech women's golf team opened their slate of tournaments for the 2025-26 season over the past two days and were among the 18 teams competing at the Central Region Fall Preview out at the Adams Point Golf Club in Blue Springs, Missouri. The Golden Suns would finish that initial tournament in ninth place.
Playing 18 holes each day, the Golden Suns began play with a 22-over (310) team score on Monday and then improved a couple of strokes on Tuesday, shooting a 20-over (308). The Golden Suns, who are coming off a return trip as a team to the NCAA Division II Women's Golf National Championship Tournament, were the third-highest finishing team from the Great American Conference.
On Monday, the Golden Suns were led in scoring by
Jaylee Castro. The junior shot a two-over (74) for the round and after a two-over first nine holes, she pulled even on her score with two holes remaining on her back-nine. That performance placed her in a tie for 10
th place. Senior
Ellen Spigner and freshman newcomer
Jessie Norman both shot six-over (78) on Monday and were tied for 42
nd after day one.
Tuesday's final round saw Castro match her round one score, putting her at four-over (148) for the tournament. That helped Castro climb a spot on the individual leaderboard where she finished tied for ninth.
Averi Mickelson had the biggest improvement in score from round one to two as she shot a three-over (75) on Tuesday. After carding a three-over on her front-nine on Tuesday, Mickelson made her turn and was back to even through five holes on her back-nine as she made birdie on three of those five holes.
Mickelson's individual improvement vaulted her up the leaderboard from a tie for 57
th after Monday to a tie for 33
rd by the end of the tournament.
Spigner dropped a stroke from round one to round two and matched Mickelson's two-round score of 11-over (155). She was in a tie for 42
nd after play on Monday.
The Golden Suns will now prepare for their next tournament, the Dallas Baptist Classic. That event is being held Monday, September 22 – Tuesday, September 23 at the Oakmont Country Club in Corinth, Texas.
