March 24, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following a pair of open weeks to conclude the winter quarter, Northwestern swings back into action this Saturday and Sunday, March 25-26 at the eighth annual Mountain View Collegiate in Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats captured last year's tournament title with a Mountain View Collegiate record 870. The 15-team field will play 36 holes on Saturday and a final 18 on Sunday.
Recently, Northwestern has fared well playing golf in the desert. Earlier this month, the Wildcats won the Rio Verde Collegiate just outside Phoenix. After this weekend's event, the Wildcats head to Rancho Mirage, Calif., for the Northwestern Invitational.
"We are definitely playing some great desert golf," said NU coach Chris Regenberg. "We hope the trend continues this weekend."
This weekend's event starts the Wildcats' stretch run toward postseason play. Northwestern, currently ranked No. 41 in the latest Golfweek/Sagarin index, will have just one event remaining (the April 22-23 Lady Buckeye Invitational) after next weekend's two tournaments before playing in the Big Ten Championships in late April.
In addition the 41st-ranked Wildcats, they expect to receive their stiffest competition this weekend from a pair of Big 12 schools -- No. 33 Missouri and No. 48 Nebraska. Wisconsin is the only other Big Ten school entered in this weekend's tournament.
Colorado and Colorado State are serving as the tournament hosts.