Bearcats Play at Willamette Valley Country Club in First Round of Culturame Classic

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

CANBY, Ore. -- The Willamette University women's golf team competed in the first round of the Culturame Classic on Saturday, Oct. 5 at Willamette Valley Country Club. Lexi Towner (Sr., Chico, CA/Chico HS) led the Bearcats with a score of 89 and was tied with three other golfers for 29th place. 

Action in the tournament, which is hosted each year by George Fox University, will conclude on Saturday, Oct. 6 with the final 18 holes.

Kayle Hunn of GFU was the leader at the end of the first round with a score of 1-over-par 73. She held a two-stroke advantage over teammate Quincy Beyrouty, who was second at 75. Two more GFU golfers, Rachel Drgastin and Nicolle Nitta, were tied for third place at 76. Also tied for third were Stephanie Yu from Pomona-Pitzer (Calif.) and Kaitlyn Tonai of George Fox.

In addition to Towner, other competitors for the Bearcats were Analyssa Ruiz (So./Fy., Keizer, OR/Blanchet Catholic School), Kiki Fierstos (So./Fy., Redmond, OR/Redmond HS), Meghan Hook (So./Fy., Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS), and Alexis Schwartz (So./Fy., Ontario, OR/Ontario HS). Ruiz shot 120, while Fierstos carded a 128. Hook recorded a 131 and Schwartz shot 132.

George Fox sat atop the team leaderboard after 18 holes with a score of 300. Pomona-Pitzer was second at 310, and California Lutheran University was third at 326. Whitworth was fourth at 344, just one stroke in front of the University of California, Santa Cruz in fifth at 345. Whitman College and Corban University were tied for sixth at 348. Willamette was eighth at 468.