The Portland State women’s golf team left the Anuenue Spring Break Classic with a ninth-place finish on Wednesday, scoring a season-best 293 round along the way. The Vikings faced stiff competition during the tournament but rose to the occasion in recording the fifth-best performance in school history on a 54-hole course.
PSU golf wraps up spring break
The Portland State women’s golf team left the Anuenue Spring Break Classic with a ninth-place finish on Wednesday, scoring a season-best 293 round along the way. The Vikings faced stiff competition during the tournament but rose to the occasion in recording the fifth-best performance in school history on a 54-hole course.
After two solid rounds of play by senior Britney Yada, sophomores A Ram Choi and Kelly Miller took the Vikings home in the final round, each registering two-under-par 70s.
“Kelly Miller had a great final round,” head coach Kathleen Takaishi said. “That should give her some confidence and momentum to build on.”
The 11th-ranked UCLA Bruins came away with the victory at the tournament, improving on their sixth-place standing after the first round to move up to second place after 36 holes and then closing strong with a tremendous 12-under-par effort on the final day. The quality of play from the field was a reinforcement for the Viking squad that they are headed in the right direction.
“We were able to play with many teams within the top 20 in the nation,” Yada said. “We just have to realize that we are just as good as they are.”
Yada finished the event tied for 37th with 73-73-78 – 224, her second-best performance this year. Though she struggled in the third round, the team’s depth allowed PSU to keep pace.
Choi posted the best individual results for the Vikings, coming in at 26th place with scores of 74-76-70 – 220, while Miller jumped up 19 spots on the final day to finish the tournament at 64th place with 81-80-70 – 231. Freshman Riley Leming registered her own career-best tournament score at 77-78-77 – 232.
“We are excited about our finish,” Takaishi said. “They know they left a few shots out there…Now we just need to keep this momentum going and continue to get better.”
The Vikings’ ninth-place showing was better than six of the top 100 teams in the nation, just one stroke behind San Jose State University and the University of California, Davis. The team is eager to improve on that result.
“We are starting to peak at the right time,” Yada said.
The Vikings return to the course on April 8 for the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic in Chandler, Ariz.
