< Previous68 @UKFootball W ith all five players back who helped shatter the Kentucky women’s golf team’s NCAA Championship glass ceiling last season, including 2021 U.S. Women’s Ama- teur champion Jensen Castle, expectations are high for Golda Borst’s team in 2021-22. “I believe that we’re one of the best teams in the country,” Borst said. Borst has good reason to be so confident. The Wildcats qualified for the national championship stage last spring for the first time in 29 years. All five players who qual- ified for and played in Scottsdale, Arizona – Castle, a junior, fifth-year senior Rikke Sve- jgård Nielsen, juniors María Villanueva Aper- ribay and Marissa Wenzler, and sophomore Laney Frye – returned this season with hopes of not only returning the NCAA Champion- ship Finals but competing for the title. Those bold expectations only increased this summer with breakthrough performanc- es from several Wildcats. Villanueva Aperribay represented Spain at the European Ladies' Team Championship in July, Wenzler won the Women’s Western Amateur later in the month and then Castle shocked the golf world in August when she defeated some of the game’s best amateurs to win the United States Golf Association’s national championship. By virtue of captur- ing the U.S. Women’s Amateur title, Castle earned exemption into the Curtis Cup and would go on to help Team USA to a domi- nant victory in Wales. With all that momentum, Kentucky began its season in mid-September. After tying for ninth place at the Wolverine Invitational, the five NCAA Championship returners picked up where they left off last spring with a fourth- place finish last weekend in the Mason Ru- dolph Championship in Franklin, Tennessee. The Wildcats posted one of the best scoring performances in program history at Vanderbilt’s home tournament with a score of 3-under par. Castle led the way with an 8-under-par-208, tied the second-best 54- hole round in the program record books, but it was the supporting performances from her teammates that could make this UK squad such a dangerous group later this season. Frye carded her third career top-10 showing and Villanueva Aperribay finished at 1-over par. Each shot 69 in the second round, their best 18-hole scores as Wildcats. Assuming Castle – an ANNIKA Award watch list candidate – can continue her play as one of the best players in the county, Borst believes it will only help elevate the play of her equally talented teammates. "When Jensen has her 'A' game, I think that just helps her teammates gain more con- fidence," Borst said. “Jensen is due to win a tournament. I think that is going to happen sooner rather than later … but again, I believe that we’re one of the best teams in the coun- try. (Regardless) if Jensen has her ‘A’ game or ‘B’ game, I really think this is a strong team. We have some good depth.” Borst was pleased with the position the Wildcats put themselves in to challenge for the team title at the Mason Rudolph Champi- onship, but a focus for the rest of the season will be taking that next step to finish the job. “This team can play better,” Borst said. “We put ourselves in an OK position, but I think we can learn a lot of lessons how we prepare for a (final round) knowing that we need to go chase some birdies to make a run and win this thing.” Kentucky’s next fall invitation will be at the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitation in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The three-day tourna- ment will begin Oct. 15. Screen and team captain Marcel Meinzer were selected to the C-USA Preseason Team prior to the start of the season. Both players were All-C-USA performers in 2020, while Meinzer also brought home C-USA Co-Mid- fielder of the Year honors. Kentucky was picked to finish third in the league by a poll of the head coaches, behind only reigning national champion Marshall and Charlotte. Admission to all 2021 UK soccer matches at Wendell & Vickie Bell Soccer Complex is free to the public. Castle-Led UK Women's Golf Has Big Aspirations in 2021-22 By Madison Denny UK Athletics Communications and Public Relations70 @UKFootball UK Sports Network Radio Information Market Call Letters Frequency Ashland, KY WCMI 92.7 FM / 1340 AM Ashland/Greenup, KY WLGC 105.7 FM Benton, KY WCBL 99.1 FM / 1290 AM Bowling Green, KY WGGC 95.1 FM Cadiz, KY WKDZ 106.5 FM / 1110 AM Campbellsville, KY WCKQ 104.1 FM Cincinnati, OH WCKY 1530 AM Columbia, KY WAIN 93.5 FM / 1270 AM Corbin, KY WCTT 107.3 FM / 680 AM Dry Ridge, KY WNKR 106.7 FM Elizabethtown, KY WQXE 98.3 FM Flemingsburg, KY WFLE 95.1 FM Grayson, KY WUGO 99.7 FM Harlan, KY WTUK 105.1 FM Hazard, KY WSGS 101.1 FM Henderson, KY WSON 96.5 FM / 860 AM Hopkinsville, KY WHOP 98.7 FM / 1230 AM Jamestown, KY WJRS 104.9 FM Jenkins, KY WIFX 94.3 FM Lancaster, KY WRNZ 105.1 FM Leitchfield, KY WKHG 104.9 FM Lexington, KY WBUL / WLAP 98.1 FM / 630 AM London, KY WWEL 103.9 FM Louisville, KY WHAS 840 AM Madisonville, KY WKTG 93.9 FM Mayfield, KY WLLE 102.1 FM Maysville, KY WFTM 95.9 FM / 1240 AM Monticello, KY WKYM 101.7 FM Morehead, KY WIVY 96.3 FM Morganfield WMSK 101.3 FM Nashville, TN WPRTHD 102.5 HD Owensboro, KY WBKR / WOMI 92.5 FM / 1490 AM Paducah, KY WKYX 94.3 FM / 570 AM Paintsville, KY WSIP 98.9 FM / 1490 AM Pikeville, KY WDHR / WPKE 93.1 FM / 103.1 FM Pineville, KY WRIL 106.3 FM Prestonsburg, KY WQHY / WDOC 95.5 FM / 1310 AM Providence, KY WWKY 104.9 FM Somerset, KY WSEK 93.9 FM / 910 AM Whitesburg, KY WXKQ / WTCW 103.9 FM / 920 AM Williamsburg, KY WEZJ / WEKX 104.3 FM / 102.7 FM 2021 Schedule Sept. 4 ULM W, 45-10 Sept. 11 Missouri W, 35-28 Sept. 18 Chattanooga W, 28-23 Sept. 25 @South Carolina W, 16-10 Oct. 2 Florida 6 p.m. Oct. 9 LSU 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 @Georgia TBA Oct. 30 @Mississippi State TBA Nov. 6 Tennessee TBA Nov. 13 @Vanderbilt TBA Nov. 20 New Mexico State TBA Nov. 27 @Louisville TBA (Don Franklin Auto Countdown to Kickoff begins 2 hours prior to kickoff} UK HealthCare Mark Stoops Radio Show (Mondays 6-7 pm) August 30, 2021 UK Sports Network September 6, 2021 UK Sports Network September 13, 2021 UK Sports Network September 20, 2021 UK Sports Network September 27, 2021 UK Sports Network October 4, 2021 UK Sports Network October 11, 2021 UK Sports Network October 18, 2021 UK Sports Network October 25, 2021 UK Sports Network November 1, 2021 UK Sports Network November 8, 2021 UK Sports Network November 15, 2021 UK Sports Network November 22, 2021 UK Sports Network November 29, 2021 UK Sports Network@UKSportsNetwork 71 UK Sports Network Television Information Monday – Friday at 7:30 pmSaturday at 9:00 am UKATHLETICS.COM UK SPORTS NETWORK KENTUCKY FOOTBALL @UKSportsNetwork @UKFOOTBALL uk_sportsnetwork UKFOOTBALLNext >