UCO Golfers Ready To Make 2021 Debut

It's been nearly a year since the Central Oklahoma women's golf team competed in a tournament because of the international health crisis, but the Bronchos are finally set to return to action at the Southern Invitational in Carrollton, Texas.

The three-day, 54-hole tournament starts Sunday at the 5,893-yard, par-72 Indian Creek Golf Club and runs through Tuesday. Ten teams are expected to attend the tournament, which is being hosted by Central Missouri.

UCO hasn't played a competitive round since March 10, 2020, when the Bronchos shot a final-round 295 in finishing runner-up at the Diffee Ford Lincoln Invitational held at Edmond's KickingBird Golf Club. The rest of the spring season was soon canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic and Central also didn't play any tournaments in the fall of 2020.

"It's exciting to have the opportunity to compete," said head coach Michael Bond, who has led UCO to 99 top-four finishes in 12 years at the helm. "It's been a long time since our last event. It's kind of stressful waiting on the testing results we have to do before competing, but it's all part of what's going on."

Making up UCO's five-player contingent in the season-opening event will be freshmen Susana Olivares, Emma Shelley and Mika Ramos along with sophomore Madison O'Dell and senior Sydney Roberts. Freshman Emily Miller will compete as an individual medalist.

Olivares and Shelley are both second-year freshmen, O'Dell is a third-year sophomore and Roberts a fifth-year senior after players retained a year of eligibility when the 2019-20 season was cut short. Ramos and Miller are true freshmen.

Olivares was one on her way to perhaps the best season in program history last year and ended up becoming UCO's first-ever first-team All-American. She finished in the top 10 in all seven tournaments the Bronchos played, winning two, and put together a sensational 72.8 scoring average while shooting par or better five times in 14 rounds.

Roberts, in her fifth year as a starter, placed in the top 10 in three of six tournaments last year while finishing with a 77.2 average. She ranks fourth in career rounds (94) and seventh in career scoring (77.8) at UCO.

O'Dell had four top-20 finishes in seven tourneys a year ago in ending with a 76.9 average, while Shelley had two top-10 showings in seven events in 2019-20 and finished with a 77.6 average.

Ramos won a state championship during her career at Tulsa Kelley High School and Miller led Edmond North High School to a pair of team titles in addition to capturing the Oklahoma Golf Association Junior Girls crown in the summer of 2020.

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Players Mentioned

Madison O'Dell: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Susana Olivares: 5' 1"; Freshman

Sydney Roberts: 5' 1"; Senior

Emma Shelley: 5' 5"; Freshman

Emily Miller: 5' 4"; Freshman

Mika Ramos: 5' 0"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Madison O'Dell
: 5' 9"; Sophomore

Susana Olivares
: 5' 1"; Freshman

Sydney Roberts
: 5' 1"; Senior

Emma Shelley
: 5' 5"; Freshman

Emily Miller
: 5' 4"; Freshman

Mika Ramos
: 5' 0"; Freshman