Salas makes her presence known in the NJCAA

Green River resident Isabell Salas, first-year golfer for Central Wyoming college, has made a big splash in the world of NJCAA athletics.

Salas, who was ranked number one in region nine going into the season, continued to hold that ranking with four first-place finishes and seven top-three finishes, including a third-place finish at the Plains District Championship. With Salas's third-place finish she punched her ticket to the NJCAA National Championship held at Buffalo Dunes Golf Course in Garden City, Kansas May 11-15. Her stellar performance also garnered a national ranking of 71 out of 320 total female golfers in the NJCAA. Salas also saw added accolades of being named first team "All Region" and first team "All District."

Salas said she has some big goals for the National Championship.

"My number one goal is to finish in the top 10 and earn All American status," she said.

When asked how she's been preparing for the tournament, Salas said, "I broke down what went right and what went wrong at the district championship and have been focusing on areas that I can improve on and stay consistent in areas that I excelled in. I've also been studying the course and putting myself in similar situations while practicing. It has been a little tricky with the weather here in Wyoming as we have had big swings in temperature. I have had to adjust my practice schedule from outside to inside on a simulator."

Salas's team also had many top three finishes throughout the season, and in a concerted effort the Lady Rustlers won their Region 9 Championship, which was held simultaneously with the Plains District Championship. The team is comprised of all first-year players, including former Wyoming high school standouts Cheyenne Ward and Morgan Hill.

"Those freshmen went out and pulled it together in the biggest fashion when the lights were the brightest," said Head Coach Mike Neuman. "Proud just doesn't seem to do my feelings justice. This is a start to something very special at Central Wyoming College."

Salas also wanted to thank her supporters.

"I am always so grateful for the support I receive from the community and that also now includes the Riverton community members who have embraced me as one of their own," she said. "I want to thank my coach who has challenged me in ways that I didn't know were possible, the CWC Athletic Director Steve Barlow, my awesome teammates, but especially my parents, who continue to show up for me in every way possible."

Live results for the NJCAA Women's National Golf Championship Tournament can be found on scoreboard.clippd.com