The University of Hawai'i women's golf team will head to Las Vegas for the Jackrabbit Invitational, March 8-9 at the Boulder Creek Golf Course.
 
The tournament is hosted by South Dakota State and will feature a 10-team field with participants playing 54-holes, 36 on Monday and 18 on Tuesday. Also competing along with UH and SDSU are CSUN, Creighton, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Idaho, Idaho State, Northern Illinois, and Oral Roberts.
 
The Rainbow Wahine are coming off a team title at the Pearl Collegiate Classic where they bested Division II opponents Hawai'i Pacific and UH Hilo for the title. Freshman Monica Johnson also grabbed medalist honors for UH, becoming the program's eighth all-time winner after firing rounds of 74 and 75.
 
The Sydney, Australia native will headline the Rainbow Wahine contingent to Las Vegas that also includes senior Zoey Akagi-Bustin, junior Hana Mirnik, sophomore Kralyn Salazar, and freshman Ali Schmunk, the latter of whom will be making her UH debut. 
 
"We're looking forward to heading to the ninth island to compete this week," head coach Stephen Bidne said. "Boulder Creek Golf Course is home to many collegiate events, and is where I have had the opportunity to coach at numerous times in the past. The course is a true desert style links course, that's lone defense is the strong winds that are common there. With projected cool temps and possible strong winds forecasted, it should make for a fun challenge for the field. Thankfully the trade winds have been up here in Hawai'i lately, so we have had ample amount of time to practice adjusting to it." 
 
Akagi-Bustin sports the team's best scoring average at 78.4 and finished runner-up to Johnson at the Pearl Classic. Mirnik, a transfer from Wichita State, placed fourth at Pearl while Salazar tied for fifth. Schmunk, a graduate of Yuma Catholic High School who was twice the top female at the Arizona Co-ed 3A State Championship, will make her anticipated debut for the Rainbow Wahine. 
 
The Jackrabbit Invite is the third tournament for the Rainbow Wahine this spring. UH will next host the Ānuenue Spring Break Classic, March 22-24 in Kā'anapali, Maui prior to the Big West Championship next month.
 
"We've been working hard on our games getting ready, and I am very pleased at all five of our players' games as of the moment," Bidne said. "Everyone's short games are looking the best I have seen them, which is great to see since with strong wind projected, we will need to be able to successfully scramble some to do well. I'm looking forward to having a successful trip in Vegas!"
 
Tournament #3
What: Jackrabbit Invitational
Dates: Monday, March 8 and Tuesday, March 9
Course: Boulder Creek Golf Course
Location: Boulder City, Nev.
Format: Three-days; 54 holes (36 on Monday, 18 on Tuesday); 5-count-4
Host: South Dakota State
Field (10 teams): CSUN, Creighton, Eastern Washington, Gonzaga, Hawai'i, Idaho, Idaho State, Northern Illinois, Oral Roberts, South Dakota State
Live Scoring: www.golfstat.com