The Sacramento State women’s golf team didn’t want to put on its golf shoes for the final day of the NCAA West Regional.

It wasn’t because the players had posted a 318 in the first two rounds, but was because they had blisters from walking a course.

“The members aren’t even able to walk it,” senior Jennifer Parkes said. “They drive and hit it, drive and hit it, but when NCAA comes (to Snow Canyon Country Club), we had to walk the entire course.”

The women were happy to compete in the Regional since it was the first time in the school’s history the women’s team had made an appearance, and they did their school proud, finishing 16th (of 21 teams) with a three-day score of 952.

Sac State finished ahead of five other schools including University of Las Vegas, University of San Francisco and UC Berkeley.

“This is what to strive for, and to finally have it happen ? it’s a dream come true,” Parkes said.

Coach Adam Pohll said this is just another sign of success for the program.

“It a great experience. The girls performed well,” he said. Pohll said he wasn’t expecting to finish as high as they did, since they were seeded 20th going into the three-day tournament.

Pohll said the course one the easiest course the Hornets had played on, and seniors Parkes and Margaux Sheehan agreed.

The two said there were ups and downs throughout the entire course, and a few holes had lava rock, with the high desert heat hitting well over 100 degrees.

“There’s wasn’t any shade, and the sun was beating down on us,” she said.

The women didn’t walk the course alone, as they had the support of their families.

Parkes’ father, Kevin, who has been to nearly every tournament his daughter has competed in, attended from the start, but her mother Sandy flew in to Vegas late Thursday and Kevin drove to see their daughter play in her final rounds.

“He wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Parkes said.

Kevin said he could probably count on his two hands the number of games or meets he has missed since Parkes began playing sports when she was five years old.

“It was a tough day. She is basically down. Now what am I’m going to do? It was a hard thing to be there, but it was worth every penny I spent,” he said.

Sheehan’s mother, Winter Wolf of Anchorage, Ala, and grandmother also came to see Sheehan in her final tournament at Sac State.

“This was very exciting for Jen and Margaux. I don’t know if they thought when they were freshmen they’d make it that far,” Winter Wolf said. “This is such a great group of girls with a lot of potential.”

With the ups and the downs of the course, Parkes and Sheehan said it was a great feeling to compete in the NCAA West Regional for the first time in Sac State’s history.

“We beat some great team, and we didn’t play well,” Sheehan said.

Junior Heather LeMaster led Sac State with a three-day score of 236, Junior Emily Longcrier scored 238, Parkes had a 240, Sheehan scored a 243 and Junior Kim Coppin finished with a 250.

The Hornets finished the best year in school history and winning their first Big Sky Conference title.

Sac State will serve as host of the 2008 NCAA West Regional at Lincoln Hills Golf Club. Karyn Gilbert can be reached at [email protected]