UH-Hilo women’s golf to have extended competition on the isle
The 2023-24 slate for the UH-Hilo Women’s Golf team will provide prime opportunities for supporters with four events to be held on the west side of the Big Island this year.
The Vulcans will open the fall season Sept. 18-19 in Dupont, Washington at Saint Martin’s SMU Fall Invitational at The Home Course.
ADVERTISING
After a stop in Southern California, the Vulcans will close out the first half of the schedule with three events on the Big Island, first with a dual match against HPU Oct. 14-15 at the Mauna Lani Golf Course and the Waikoloa Beach Resort.
HPU is then hosting its HPU Sharks Shootout at the Waikoloa Beach Resort Oct. 23-24 before the Vulcans close with their annual Dennis Rose Intercollegiate at the Waikoloa Village Course Oct. 27-28.
After a five-event slate for spring 2024, the Vulcans will again be at home for the PacWest Conference Championship hosted by HPU at Mauna Lani Golf Course.
Head coach Jim DeMello will be entering his 20th season.
UH-Hilo will return all five of their golfers who competed this past spring, including Kiersten Saludares, who placed in the top 10 at the PacWest Conference Championship and was later voted as PacWest Conference Freshman of the Year.
Tia Kuali‘i will be the veteran of the team, returning for a fifth year after earning All-PacWest Second Team honors.
Joining the team will be sophomore-transfer Isabella Ranches from San Diego, California by way of Long Beach State University, where she competed in two events as an individual.
Ranches is a 2022 graduate of Scripps Ranch High School where she helped lead her team to four Western League Championships and was named 2018 Future Champions Tour Golfer of the Year.
Ranches told UH-Hilo that she chose to join the Vulcans because “This is where I want to continue my academic and athletic career. UH Hilo offers a great golf program, my desired major in Business Finance and has a diverse community within the University.”
