The Retort

Women’s Golf Finishes 18th at Grand Canyon Invitational

April 18th, 2011 by MSUB Athletics For The Retort

The Montana State Billings women’s golf team finished 18th out of 18 teams at the 2011 Grand Canyon University Women’s Invitational held on the par 72, 6,045-yard Palm Valley Golf Club course. Cal State-Monterey Bay won the 36-hole tournament firing a team score of 604, while the Jackets tallied a 698 score.

“We talked after the first round about the mental part of our golf game,” MSUB head coach Shawn O’Brien said. “We discussed what was lacking and what needed to improve. Today we had some individuals play well concerning the mental side of golf. Lindsay (Erickson) did a fantastic job of focusing on one shot, and not allowing good or bad previous shots affect her. Although I would have liked her to score better, she had a great last three holes, birding two of them.”

Cal State-Monterey Bay edged host Grand Canyon University by one stroke. Tarleton State finished third with a 608 score, while St. Edward’s University finished fourth with a 615 score. Great Northwest Athletic Conference member, Western Washington University, and Northeastern State finished tied for fifth with a 617 score to round out the top-five.

Individually, Grand Canyon’s Ashley Mooney won medalist honors in a playoff with Western Washington’s Claire Rachor. Rachor fired a 76 on April 4, but came back with a 1-under 71 to force the playoff. Mooney fired rounds of 73 and 74. CSUMB’s Courtney Soekland finished tied for third with Northeastern State’s Kelsay Kirkpatrick with a 148 score, while Academy of Art’s Laura Huertas and Northeastern State’s Whitney McAteer finished tied for fifth with a 149 score.

MSUB freshman Melissa Saken led the way for the Jackets as she fired a 79 on April 5 to finish tied for 51st after carding an 82 on April 4. Saken earned GNAC Player of the Week honors for her efforts during the week of March 27 as she won medalist honors at the Thunderwolf Invitational hosted by Colorado State-Pueblo, March 26-27.

“Melissa (Saken) came to the course focused and ready to play today,” O’Brien said. “She putted much better today and put her approach shots within one foot of the cup on 15, 16 and 17. She birdied all three of them and was 3-over going into 18 and 1-under on the back nine. It was the most focused and well hit balls I have seen her hit this year. Although she had some bad luck on 18, she played very well today.”

Erickson finished 82nd after an 87 on April 5 to go along with an 88 yesterday. Junior Erin Heaney finished tied for 85th with a 181 score (91 – 90), as did freshman BreAnna Cameron with rounds of 92 and 89.

18 Montana St. Billings 353 345 698

T 51 Melissa Saken 82 79 161

82 Lindsay Erickson 88 87 175

T 85 Erin Heaney 91 90 181

T 85 BreAnna Cameron 92 89 181

WD Elizabeth Tikriti WD WD