KANE'OHE — It might have been a minor accomplishment for Rainbow Wahine golf, but it would have made Donnis Thompson smile.

Hawai'i, anchored by Corie Hou's tie for fourth and Carolina Perez's sizzling final round, ended up sixth among 12 teams yesterday at the 24th annual Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational. It is the first one played since Hawai'i's original women's athletic director, and passionate gender equity advocate, died last month at age 75.

It is also the 'Bows' best finish of the year, by three places. Their three-day total of 923 was seven shots off the season-best set in their final tournament of the fall at Kapolei. Every Rainbow Wahine but Perez, who was eighth in her last start, had her best finish of the year. Hawai'i ends this season at the Western Athletic Conference Championship next month.

Until then, in their first sustained practice period of the spring semester, the 'Bows finally have a chance to work on the little things — especially their short games — that kept them from closing on tournament champion Texas A&M yesterday. The Aggies (300—907) made up an eight-shot deficit to pass Idaho, winning for the second time in three years here.

The Vandals got a measure of revenge when Kayla Mortellaro — one of their five freshmen — went wire to wire to win medalist honors at 75—219. That was a shot better than A&M's Lauren Johnson (73—220) and Osaka Gakuin's Nanae Shinzato (75—220). Mortellaro opened with a 3-under-par 69, one of two scores in the 60s for the week.

Perez, a UH senior from Columbia, shot yesterday's best score, a 71 that vaulted her into a tie for ninth. Her best collegiate finish was sixth at this tournament as a freshman.

Hou, a junior from Australia, has now led Hawai'i in five of its seven events this season. She also finished fourth at the last two WAC Championships. She was anticipating better yesterday when she eagled her opening hole and was 3-under at one stage, but was still happy with her consistency and return to the low 70s after a recent slump.

"I was struggling with my putting and I just changed one thing and it saved my okole out there," said Hou, who averaged 25 putts this week. "My right wrist kept breaking so I just put my finger out (straight) to hold it and it really helped. Easy as that."

First-year coach Lori Castillo's first team has only four players this semester, with two golfers unavailable and freshman Megan Ueno unable to travel. Ueno played this week and the team used one of her scores Tuesday (best four of five count) — and thrived simply because of her presence.

"We felt more like a real team," Hou said. "That was exciting. ... Four doesn't feel right."

Castillo, whose seniors are Phyllis Lai and Perez (next year's graduate assistant), hopes to have nine on the roster next season. It has been a period of transition for the Hawai'i Golf Hall of Famer and her players. They say she has brought "a new vibe," and she has liked her new career more than she expected.

"What I didn't realize coming in was that I love coaching," said Castillo, whose father Ron is also in the Hall of Fame and whose brothers are all golf pros. "I'm enjoying coaching more than I thought I would."

Her style and personality are very different from former coach Ashley Biffle, who gave the players more independence — a style that helped former players Dale Gammie (St. Anthony) and Xyra Suyetsugu (Roosevelt) blossom. Castillo is more hands-on and the players have been receptive. She has made major swing changes with Erin Matsuoka and Lai, and plans to spend the next month fine-tuning everyone's skills, and trying to keep everyone upbeat.

"Teams that do well have those types of coaches who are 'encouragers,' " Castillo said. "Despite what it might seem from the outside, on the inside these kids are trying as hard as they know how. All I ask is they try their best. They can't ask anymore of themselves."

NOTE: Last weekend's rain left a foot of water on a few front-nine holes. Klipper superintendent Ryan Wood and his crew stayed out until 10 p.m. Saturday and all day Sunday pumping and squeegeeing the holes to make the course playable.