MSUB Women’s Golf Finishes Second at ThunderWolf Invitational

Results

PUEBLO, Colo. – The Montana State Billings women’s golf team finished second at the Colorado State Pueblo ThunderWolf Invitational Tuesday with a 36-hole team score of 681 after carding a team score of 335 on Tuesday.  Mesa State College led wire-to-wire for the second consecutive week with a team score of 667 on the par 72, 6,000 Walking Sticks Golf Course.

“We played well for the second weekend in a row, which gives us a good opportunity to place high in the conference,” head coach Shawn O’Brien said.  “Erin Heaney played very well today for us.  The 79 she shot picked up some others that struggled with a tough course.  Overall, I am happy with the team performance and I thought they deserved a second-place finish.”

With better weather conditions on Tuesday, the scores were lower.  Mesa State dropped 17 strokes and finished with a 325 on Tuesday after a 342 on Monday.  The Yellowjackets dropped 11 strokes with a 335 on Tuesday after a 346. 

Western New Mexico finished third with a 687 score, followed by Adams State (694), and Nebraska-Kearney at 704 to round out the top five.  Regis was sixth with a 709 score, followed by Fort Hays State (733), Chadron State (740), Colorado Christian (751) and Colorado State Pueblo at 838 to round out the 10-team field.

Individually, Adam State’s Kendell Martin led wire-to-wire with a 163 (81 – 82), 36-hole score.  Mesa State’s Kristina Casillas was second with a 164 (85 – 79).  Heaney moved up from a tie for ninth to finish tied for third after carding a 79 on Tuesday, tying the tournament-best round score.

Kalli Stanhope tied for ninth for the Yellowjackets with a 170, followed by Amy Nordeen who dropped six strokes from Monday shooting an 84 to finish tied for 15th (90 – 84).  Freshman Liz Tikriti finished 19th (86 – 89 = 175) and Libby Rutz tied for 23rd with a 178 score and an 86 on Tuesday.  Playing as an individual, MSUB’s Hannah McPherson tied for 35th with a 185 score, carding rounds of 95 and 90.

The Yellowjackets sit two points behind Mesa State in the RMAC team standings after two RMAC events.  The final fall RMAC tournament is scheduled for Oct. 5-6 at Regis University in Denver.  In the spring, the conference tournament is the final RMAC event and will decide the conference championship, Apr. 12-13, 2010, at a site to be determined.

The Yellowjacket women’s golf team returns to action Sept. 27-28 at the Rocky Mountain College Invitational at Peter Yegen Golf Course in Billings.

2 Montana St. Billings 346 335 681
T 3 Erin Heaney 86 79 165
T 9 Kalli Stanhope 84 86 170
T 15 Amy Nordeen 90 84 174
19 Liz Tikriti 86 89 175
T 23 Libby Rutz 92 86 178