Vikings top Big Sky at Anteater Invitational

The Portland State women’s golf team finished in 12th place at the San Diego State-hosted Anteater Invitational on Tuesday.

The two-day event, held at the Dove Canyon Country Club in southern California, featured 15 teams and three rounds of play. San Diego State won the invitational with 899 strokes (300–299–300), six shots under second-placed University of San Francisco.

Freshman Britney Yada finished in a three-way tie for sixth place with 223 (79-71–73), nine shots above winner Kayla Mortellaro, a sophomore from the University of Idaho. Yada is Portland State’s scoring leader for the fifth time in seven events this season and gives her a team-best scoring average of 77.23 strokes per round.

The Anteater Invitational was Yada’s second top-10 finish out of three spring events. Following her performance, she was selected as the Big Sky Golfer of the Week, marking the second such honor for her this season.

The Vikings topped the only other Big Sky Conference school competing at the Anteater, Sacramento State, who finished in 14th place with 958 combined strokes. Portland State is now 9-3 in the Big Sky. Non-conference opponent Oregon State tied for eighth place with the University of Hawaii at 939 strokes.

The Anteater Invitational also saw the return of senior Stephanie Johns, who hasn’t competed since the fall due to a back injury. Johns led the Vikings on Monday in a tie for sixth place, but by the end of the tournament on Tuesday, she dropped to a tie for 17th place.

Contributing to the Vikings’ team score was sophomore Tiffany Schoning, who finished tied in 17th out of 80 golfers. Senior Danielle Ranallo finished in 73rd with 253 and freshman Corrine Gilbertson finished in 80th with 267.

Their next scheduled tournament is the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic at Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, Ariz., on April 4-5. This will be the last event before the Big Sky Championship on April 19-21.