The women’s golf team finished eighth of 17 teams at the Dr. Thompson Rainbow Tournament during spring break.

From March 17 to March 19, the team competed at the Kaneohe Kipper Golf Course in Kaneohe, Hawaii. The 54 hole competition featured a 92-player field on the 5829-yard, par-72 course.

Nationally ranked No. 5 University of Southern California captured first place with a total score of 897 strokes. The University of Arizona, currently third in the country, took second place with a score of 911. Rollins College finished third with a score of 922. Yale scored 964 to come in eighth.

The competition at the tournament greatly varied, featuring top-ranked teams such as Arizona and Southern California as well as other schools such as Arkansas Tech. Yale was the only Ivy League school to compete and one of the few private schools. Other teams included Kansas State, Nebraska, Kentucky, Minnesota and Wichita State.

Although four of the five top individual players came from Arizona and USC, some of Yale’s players finished strongly. While top finisher Mikaela Parmlid of USC averaged a 73, Yale’s Jordanna Davis ’03, Jeehae Lee ’06 and January Romero ’06 shot seven strokes above par at 79.

Weather definitely favored Arizona and USC. The meet was USC’s third tournament and second win of the spring. But it was just Yale’s first spring tournament.

“It was obvious by the standings that they (USC and Arizona) had been prepared with more tournament play, but that is the luxury of having 75-degree weather in January,” Lauren Ressler ’06 said.

Heavy winds in Hawaii toward the final round slightly affected many teams.

The Dr. Thompson Rainbow Tournament gave the Elis a chance to compete against tougher opponents than their regular Ivy League rivals. But the tournament was not about trying to beat out the nation’s best.

“What’s important on the spring trip is that we feel more in shape, confident in our games, united as a team, and excited about the Ivy Championship,” Davis said.

Despite its eighth place finish, the team is not worried about this season because its competition was against large state schools with very different golf programs.

“Our preparation for the Ivy Championship isn’t focused on comparing ourselves to the Dukes and Stanfords of the women’s college golf world,” Davis said.

With one tournament under their belts, the Bulldogs are ready for their next two tournaments in the South. The team will compete in Baton Rouge, La., April 4 to April 6 at the LSU Invitational followed by the Lady Dukes Invitational in Harrisonburg, Va., the next week. Both tournaments will give the team an opportunity to hone their skills before the Ivy League Championship April 25 to April 27.