The second West Texas Classic ended just like the first: a victory for the Wildcats.

While the inaugural tournament last season ended after just two rounds due to windy conditions, this year’s tournament went the distance and featured a come-from-behind victory for the host team.

“Winning is fun,” Head Coach Rob Bennett said. “We’re glad we won… I would rather just win wire to wire because it’s less stressful. I do think when you can come from behind the way we did, it shows all of us we can do that.”

Ryann Honea, senior from San Angelo, led the charge on the final day with an even-par performance to round out her three rounds at 4-over par.

“We weren’t too far out,” Honea said. “I talked to the girls, and Coach did too, about filling ourselves with confidence and belief… I think we did that well. We fought when we made the turn.”

Bowling Green State University led after the first 36 holes, with Macie Elzinga sitting at even par. Elzinga would card a 1-over par round on the final day and clinch her first career tournament win.

Honea ended in fourth place while Maddi Kamas, graduate from Ardmore, Oklahoma, and Marissa Loya, sophomore from San Antonio, ended tied for 10th at 8-over par. Jiyu Han, junior from Cedar Park, rounded out the four Wildcat scores, taking in 18th place at 11-over par.

“We didn’t hit it bad or do anything particularly poorly,” Bennett said. “We just weren’t crisp on day one. We made some really silly, unforced errors. On day two, those things looked way better.”

While they didn’t compete with the team, Kate Pickrell, junior from Austin, and Julia Vollmer, sophomore from San Antonio, played the tournament individually. Pickrell finished 12-over par, carding just one double-bogey through her three rounds, while Vollmer ended 15th on the leaderboard at 9-over par.

“They’re really good,” Bennett said. “I think when we’ve got a team of seven, and they all belong in the lineup, that means that at some point in time, there may be girls who aren’t on trips or play as individuals that people look at and say, ‘Why aren’t they in the lineup?’ I think they both really showed a lot this week.”

Much like a year ago, the course played windy, proving challenging through the final day of play. The Wildcats won the tournament by four strokes after posting 6-over and 10-over par rounds on day one. The team’s 13-over round three total was the best of the day by eight strokes.

“You have plenty of time if it doesn’t go normal,” Bennett said. “In team golf, you can make up nine shots in about six holes if things go really well… I think by hole eight or nine we had made up the gap and we were tied for the lead.”

After the final round of the tournament, the team honored its two seniors, Honea and Kammas. Kammas, who transferred from Oklahoma City University this season, did not know she would be honored.

“I figured Coach Bennett was going to do it again this year, but I didn’t tell Maddie,” Honea said. “She was really surprised about it. It’s just cool… I don’t feel like golf really does a senior day, so it’s cool for Coach B to take the opportunity.”

With the second annual WTC concluded, the team will look ahead to its third tournament of the spring on March 23-24 at the PING/ASU Invitational, hosted by Arizona State University and Papago Golf Club in Phoenix, Arizona.

“That’s going to be a good field,” Honea said. “To come from behind, I think, is easier than trying to protect a lead… You are able to put more pressure on it and play a little bit more aggressively instead of defensively. I think that’s what our team does well, playing aggressively. I think that suits us.”