Cats Make Their Return to Windy City Classic

WILMETTE, Ill. – Fresh off a runner-up finish at the Mason Rudolph Championship to open its season, Arizona Women's Golf returns to action at the Windy City Classic. The tournament, hosted by Northwestern, is a staple of the program's Fall schedule as Arizona has participated in the event 10 times since 2008. The Wildcats won or tied for the Windy City Classic team title in 2012 and 2015 and have finished in the top three on six different occasions.

"We are very excited to head to Illinois to compete in a tournament that our program has a winning history at," said head coach Laura Ianello. "We opened our season with a successful week of golf in Tennessee, which sets the stage for great opportunities for our young ladies this week. I feel very good about where we are at with all our lineup, and I am eager to watch everyone compete."

Arizona opened its year with a 15-under par showing at Vanderbilt's tournament and was led by senior Gile Bite Starkute who finished 4-under and tied for ninth. Sophomores Carolina Melgrati and Lilas Pinthier gave the Wildcats a pair of top-12 scores at 3-under for the tournament. Arizona opened the Mason Rudolph Championship with a bang when freshman Nena Wongthanavimok carded a 68 in the first round of her collegiate career.

The runner-up finish in Tennessee for the Wildcats was their highest team finish in an event since winning the 2020 Wildcat Invitational. It was also Arizona's best finish in a season-opening tournament since finishing runner-up at the ANNIKA Invitational in 2015.

In its history at the Windy City Classic, Arizona boasts two individual champions of the event. Lindsey Weaver won in 2013 and Isabelle Boineau was the individual champion in 2011.