Willamette Competes in First Round of UPS Invitational in Women's Golf

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

BREMERTON, Wash. -- Taneesh Sra (Sr., Fremont, CA/Mission San Jose HS) was tied for 10th place with a score of 81 following the first round of the UPS Invitational on Saturday, March 5 at Gold Mountain Golf Club. The women's competition was held on the Cascade Course.

Jeankie-Jhen Aczon from Pacific Lutheran University and Phoebe Nguyen from Whitman College were tied for the lead at 74. Aczon shot 37 on the front nine and 37 on the back nine, while Nguyen carded a 39 on the front nine, before earning a 35 over the final nine holes.

Shiyan Fan of Whitman was third with a 76. Mady Rhodenbaugh from Lewis & Clark shot a 76 and was tied for fourth place with Michal Shuster from Whitworth University. Halle Peterson, from tournament host University of Puget Sound, held fifth place with a 77. Madison La Vergne of PLU was eighth at 79.

Clair Burke of L&C was ninth with an 80. Sra was tied for 10th with Alyssa Maine from Whitman. Sra earned a 41 over the front nine and a 40 over the back nine. Maine shot 42 for the first nine holes and finished with a 39 for the final nine holes.

In addition to Sra, other Willamette golfers competing on Saturday were Maddi Barnett (So., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) and Aubryn Walters (Fr., Lafayette, OR/McMinnville HS). Barnett carded an 86. Walters shot 121.

Whitman led the team standings with a score of 308. Pacific Lutheran was second at 319, with Lewis & Clark in third at 324. Whitworth owned fourth place at 332. Linfield College was fifth at 361 and Pacific University was sixth at 369. Olympic College (Wash.) was seventh at 372 and Puget Sound was eighth at 384. Willamette did not enter a complete team.

The UPS Invitational will conclude with the second round, set for Sunday, March 6. Action will get underway with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. (PST).