Dexter finishes 6th at GNAC Championships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, April 19, 2016 Dexter finishes 6th at GNAC Championships

MSUB sophomore Bailee Dexter is the team’s top finisher in 6th place at the GNAC Championships as she shoots a tworound total of 156 (76-80).

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – For the second year in-a-row, Bailee Dexter was the top finisher for the Montana State University Billings women’s golf team at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, as she fired a tworound total of 156 (76-80) and wound up in 6th place Tuesday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort.

MSUB finished the tournament with a two-round total of 646, with identical rounds of 323 for sixth place.

“I thought we did a better job of staying away from the big score today, but we just could not get enough putts to fall,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “Bailee had a great tournament. I know she would have liked to have gone a little lower, but she battled hard, and had a great birdie on 18 which was a difficult hole.”

After a 76 her first time through the course on Monday, Dexter had one birdie and eight pars on Tuesday for the Yellowjackets.

Freshman Kortney McNeil was the team’s second finisher, as she cut off four strokes between rounds and tied for 18th with a 160 (82-78). “Kortney really had a grind-it-out, solid round,” Woodin said. “She didn’t have her A-game off the tee, but she got up-and-down several times including three times on the back nine for par. She was able to break 80 today which was nice.”

Sammy Walter finished in 21st with a 162 (79-83), Anna DeMars got 26th with a 168 (86-82), and Haley Shackelford cut off six strokes from her first-round score to finish in 28th with a 172 (89-83). “Anna and Haley improved from yesterday, and I am proud of their efforts,” Woodin said. “They had a lot of pars between them, but just couldn’t get that birdie to get them going. Sammy played well, but got off to a tough start in her first four holes. She regrouped and played very well the rest of the round and had a good tournament.”

Simon Fraser claimed the team title by setting a GNAC Championships course record for a two-round total with a 617 (308309). The Clan held off six-time defending champion Western Washington by eight strokes to claim their first-ever conference title in women’s golf. SFU’s Michelle Waters defeated Saint Martin’s Jennifer Liedes in a one-hole playoff, after the two tied atop the leaderboard with two-round totals of 151.

Sophomore Bailee Dexter finished in sixth place at the GNAC Championships for the second straight year to lead the Yellowjackets.

“We are a young team, and I think we are close to being very good,” said Woodin. “We need to make less mistakes, and work hard to improve in the future, but I think we have the ability to compete at this level.”

THE BUZZ: Dexter was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…it was the second straight sixth-place finish for Dexter at

the GNAC Championships.

2016 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships – Final Results Coeur d’Alene Resort | Coeur d’Alene, Idaho | April 19, 2016 Team – 1. Simon Fraser, 617 (308-309); 6. MSU Billings, 646 (323-323). Individuals – T1. Michelle Waters, SFU, 151 (7477)*; T1. Jennifer Liedes, SMU, 151 (80-71); 6. Bailee Dexter, MSUB, 156 (76-80); T18. Kortney McNeil, MSUB, 160 (8278); T21. Sammy Walter, MSUB, 162 (79-83); 25. Anna DeMars, MSUB, 168 (86-82); 28. Haley Shackelford, MSUB, 172 (89-83). *-Won medalist honors in one-hole playoff.

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