Women’s Golf Leads RMAC Championship; Fired Season-Best Round

Day One Results

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – The Montana State Billings women’s golf team leads the 2010 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championship by three strokes over Western New Mexico heading into tomorrow’s final round on the par 72, 5804-yard Golf Club of Estrella course. 

“I am very proud of our women,” head coach Shawn O’Brien said.  “Liz Tikriti played exceptionally well for a freshman.  We hit the majority of fairways and limited our three-putts.  The girls worked hard last week, working on their weaknesses and it showed today.  I am excited for the girls tomorrow, if we can play like we did today it will give them a great chance to do very well in this tournament.”

MSUB fired a team score of 320 Monday, edging WNMU (323).  The 320 score was a season-best for the Yellowjackets.  Mesa State was third (328) followed by a tie for fourth between Nebraska-Kearney and Saint Cloud State with a 341 score.  St. Cloud State and MSUB have been vying for the final spot in the NCAA Tournament.  The Yellowjackets currently are ninth in the latest NCAA poll as nine teams advance to the NCAA Super Regional May 3-5 in Lake City, Minn.

The winner in this tournament’s standings between MSUB and Saint Cloud State would have an excellent chance of making the super regional. 

Regis University fired a 350 and is sixth, followed by Colorado State Pueblo (352), Adams State (364), Chadron State (369) and Colorado Christian was 10th with a 392 score.

Individually, WNMU’s Glynnis Price leads the field after carding a 71 Monday.  She was the only participant under par in the 50-player field.  Nebraska Kearney’s Sara Wissing was second with a 75, followed by a tie for third between Mesa State’s Kristina Casillas and Regis’ Lara Pocs with a 76.  MSUB’s Kalli Stanhope was fifth with a 78.

Entering the fourth and final RMAC tournament of the year, Mesa State have a three point lead over Montana State Billings and Western New Mexico is third.  The Mavericks have 24 points, while MSUB has 21 and WNMU has 15.  The Jackets had finished second to Mesa State in the previous three tournaments.

In the latest NCAA Central Region poll, Mesa State is second behind Minnesota State Mankato in the poll, while WNMU is sixth and MSUB is ninth and St. Cloud State is 10th.  The Jackets and SCSU have flip-flopped positions in the last two weeks. 

MSUB’s Elizabeth Tikriti is tied for sixth after carding a 79, while Amy Nordeen is tied for ninth with an 81.  Erin Heaney is 11th after firing an 82 and Libby Rutz is tied for 27th with an 89. 

The final round begins tomorrow morning with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Pacific time.

1 Montana St. Billings 320
5 Kalli Stanhope 36- 42 78
T 6 Elizabeth Tikriti 39- 40 79
T 9 Amy Nordeen 41- 40 81
11 Erin Heaney 41- 41 82