Milena Savich couldn't have had a much better fall freshman campaign.

Savich finished fourth overall in the Challenge at Wolfdancer yesterday in Austin, Texas, her fourth top-10 finish in six events. Her career-best showing improved what was already the best scoring average by a freshman in school history (76.23).

"She played great today," Michigan coach Kathy Teichert said. "She missed some opportunities for birdie and I thought she could have played a little better yet. She had a few birdies to offset a few of the bogeys she had. It’s the sign of a good player to stay focused and patient."

The Wolverines have been on a tear this fall, achieving four top-five finishes in six tournaments.

But yesterday wasn't so successful. Even though Savich placed fourth and junior Ashley Bauer carded a 230 (+14), Michigan finished tied for eighth in the 16-team field with a four-player aggregate score of 940 (+76).

The course was especially difficult. Teichert said the pin locations were challenging and some coaches were disappointed with the way the course was set up. One golfer even eight-putted a par three.

The Challenge certainly lived up to its name, as none of the 90 players at the Wolfdancer Golf Club broke par in the 54-hole event. Colorado won the Challenge with a score of 928 (+64).

Sophomore Min Yean Tan finished tied for 27th, but she failed to break 80 in two of her three rounds. Her highlight was a 75 (+3) in the second round.

The scores went downhill from there, with fellow sophomore Louisa Shu and senior co-captain Lydia Benítez Colón each failing to break 82 in any of their rounds. Shu, Colon and sophomore Katelin Davis all finished outside of the top 50 in individual scoring.

"We didn’t get off to a good start," Teichert said. "We haven’t really gotten off to many good starts in tournaments but we have always come back. This tournament we never were able to get anything going. I felt like our players thought they hit good shots into greens and it would kick or not hold. Frustration built. You keep getting frustrated hitting good shots and not getting rewarded for it."

With their fall season complete, the Wolverines will next tee it up Feb. 8 at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.