Knight Cap: Women’s Golf Has Another Winner

This past two weeks of UCF Knights saw one team make it into the Top 75 in the nation, another team has a mixed start to March, and another athlete join her teammates in individual glory. Plus, we name the Knight of the Week in your Knight Cap for Monday, March 13, 2023.

---

Women’s Golf’s Sisutham Wins in Gainesville

True freshman Pimpisa “Sandwich” Sisutham became the latest Knight to bring home an individual victory.

She won the Vystar Credit Union Gators Invitational by defeating Florida junior Maisie Filler in a three-hole playoff after they tied for the lead after two rounds at 133 (-7). The tournament was shortened to two rounds due to weather.

Sisutham was also one of only four golfers who finished under par.

Sisutham’s performance helped the #25 Knights finish tied for 2nd place as a team with #7 Mississippi State at 567 (+7), four strokes back of the #27 Florida Gators.

UCF jumped five spots in Golfstats’ rankings to 20th in the nation. Individually, Sisutham is one of three Knights ranked in the Top 250 in the nation at #123, alongside Anna Nordfors (#111) and Tunrada Piddon (#61).

The Knights will be back in action on Monday and Tuesday at the Briar’s Creek Invitational in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.

---

Rayniah Jones Named 2nd-Team All American at NCAA Indoors

Junior Rayniah Jones wrapped up her Indoor Track and Field season with a 12th-place finish in the 60-meter hurdles at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships over the weekend.

While her 8.16-second time was not enough to advance to the Final, it was enough to get her a second straight Indoor Track and Field All-America award.

The Outdoor Track and Field season kicks off on Friday with the Black and Gold Invitational at the UCF Soccer and Track Complex.

---

Men’s Tennis Ranked After First AAC Win

The UCF Men’s Tennis team made the ITA Top 75 after defeating #51 Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton 5-2 on Friday.

The Knights lost to future conference-mate No. 30 Oklahoma State, 4-2, but picked up a 4-2 victory over SMU in their first conference matchup of 2023.

Freshman Liam Branger went on a 3-0 tear in singles over the weekend — the only Knight to go unbeaten.

Senior Bogdan Pavel held on to his #105 singles ranking and his #76 doubles rank with Lleyton Cronje.

The young Knights will be tested this week as #4 Ohio State comes to the USTA National Campus at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by #2 Texas at noon on Saturday.

---

Men’s Golf Makes Top 5 at Sea Palms Invitational

UCF Men’s Golf brought home its third Top-5 finish of the season at the Sea Palms Invitational in St. Simons Island, Georgia.

The Knights finished in 4th place overall at 838 (-14) which tied for the 5th-lowest 54-hole team score in program history. They finished 29 strokes behind Davidson, who won it with an 809 (-43).

Leading the pack individually was 5th-year Johnny Travale, who wound up in a tie for 11th overall at -6.

The Knights will be back in action in Georgia again this weekend in Statesboro at the Schenkel Invitational, hosted by Georgia Southern.

---

Women’s Tennis Goes 1-2 to Open March

UCF Women’s Tennis went 1-2 against three Top-45 opponents to kick off March: a 4-0 loss to #30 Miami (FL), a 5-2 win over #41 Penn State, and a 4-1 loss to #11 Virginia.

One of the highlights was freshman Stefani Webb getting her first singles win against a Top-125 player, UVA’s Elaine Chervinsky (6-3, 6-3).

While the Knights slid to 29th in the ITA’s rankings as a team, senior Marie Mattel jumped up a spot to #30 in the nation, and she and sophomore Sophia Biolay came in ranked 61st in doubles.

UCF’s string of ranked opponents continues as they #57 Yale on Tuesday at 5 p.m. followed by NC State at 5 p.m. on Friday.

---

Knights of the Week

Pimpisa Sisutham, Women’s Golf

Sandwich shot the first 62 in UCF Women’s Golf history to force a playoff at the Gators Invitational and ultimately get the first individual victory of her collegiate career. The feat came about a month after Anna Nordfors shot the program’s first 64 and 63 at the UCF Challenge.

Thanks to her achievements, she was named AAC Women’s Golfer of the Week.

Sisutham is also the third Knight to pick up an individual win this season, joining Nordfors and Tunrada Piddon. Overall, Sisutham is the 6th Knight to ever win a tournament individually, which means the 2022-23 UCF Women’s Golf team now has half of the players that have won tournaments individually in UCF history.

---

Bogdan Pavel - Men’s Tennis

With his 7-6 (7-5) victory alongside Lleyton Cronje over SMU’s Kyle Sillman and Adam Neff, senior Bogdan Pavel picked up the 65th doubles victory of his UCF career, overtaking Gabe Decamps for the most doubles victories by one player in program history.

---

Play of the Week

Liam Branger secures the UCF Men’s Tennis Team’s victory over SMU

Follow @UCFBanneret_SBN on Twitter for the latest updates for all UCF Knights sports.