ST. MARTIN’S INVITATIONAL: Bruins Improve but Stay 7th as St. Martin’s Event Ends

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Despite knocking 11 strokes off their first day’s score, the George Fox University Bruins were unable to gain any ground on the teams ahead of them and finished seventh out of nine teams in the St. Martin’s University Invitational Women’s Golf Tournament which concluded Saturday here at the Olympia Country and Golf Club.

George Fox ended its two-day run with a team score of 341-330=671.  Western Washington University clung to its first-day lead and won the tournament with a 315-316=631, 14 strokes ahead of the runner-up University of Victoria, which shot a 326-319=645.  The University of Hawai’i-Hilo climbed from sixth to third with a 333-313=646, followed closely by Chico State University at 326-324=650, Concordia University-Portland at 326-326=652, and host St. Martin’s at 331-324=655.  Next came the Bruins, Pacific Lutheran University at 374-342=716, and Simon Fraser University at 387-358=745. 

Two Bruins tied for seventh in the individual standings, Kelsey Morrison carding a 78-82=160 and Abby Mann shooting an 81-79=160.  Megan McGrew (92-84=176) and Loreece Magsanide (91-85=176) tied for 33rd, while Jill Westendorf was 38th with a 91-90=181.  The Bruins’ Lanee Danforth (87-82=169) and Whitney Jammerman (87-83=170) were 30th and 31st respectively while playing as individuals.

Medalist honors went to day one leader Sophie Elstrott of Western Washington, who finished with a two-over-par 73-75=148 on the par-73, 5,788-yard course.  Megan Woodland of Victoria (76-77=153) and Sunny Powers of Concordia (77-76=153) tied for second. 

The tournament featured a strong field, with Western Washington ranked eighth in D-II and Chico State and St. Martin’s receiving votes in the D-II poll.  George Fox, which is eighth in the D-III national poll, and Pacific Lutheran were the only non-athletic scholarship-granting schools in the event.

“The team played stronger today,” noted George Fox coach MaryJo McCloskey, “improving by 11 strokes.  I was happy that we had two players finish in the top 10, tying for seventh, with such a strong field of competitors.  We also had an individual who shot her best collegiate round to date today, which was exciting.  We are still a young team, and we really need to work hard on consistency.”

Complete results of the St. Martin’s Invitational, courtesy of the St. Martin’s sports information office, are available on the George Fox women’s golf web site at http://athletics.georgefox.edu/sports/wgolf/2011-12/files/1008.PDF.

NEXT: George Fox will host the second annual Culturame Classic this Friday-Saturday, Oct. 14-15, at The Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Ore., the Bruins’ only home event of the fall schedule.  Tee times are to be announced ... Said McCloskey, “We are looking forward to hosting the Classic and having local fans and family come support us and cheer us on.”