MSUB women in 3rd after Day 1 at GNAC Championships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Monday, April 24, 2017 MSUB women in 3rd after Day 1 at GNAC Championships

Finishing the first of two rounds at the 2017 GNAC Championships Monday, MSUB’s women’s golf team sits in a tie for third place with the second and final round set for Tuesday.

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – With a pair of golfers in the top-10 after the opening round of the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships presented by the Coeur d’Alene Resort, Montana State University Billings played its way to a tie for third place on Monday.

Kortney McNeil and Sammy Walter are tied for ninth place, each finishing the soggy opening day with a score of 81. The duo helped MSUB turn in a team round of 331, and the Yellowjackets are tied with Concordia University for third with one round left to play.

“The weather was difficult, as it was cold, windy, and even wet at times,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “We played pretty well on the front side but struggled early on the back-nine as a team. I am proud of our players for hanging

in there, and I believe we can improve our score and finish well tomorrow. We just need to scramble better than we did today, and it is important that we keep the ball in play.”

McNeil’s best stretch of the day came on holes 13-through-17, where she played at even-par. The sophomore finished her round with 11 pars total.

Walter posted a stellar front-nine, with three birdies leading to a 1over-par 36. Walter also had a string of three straight pars on the back-nine, finishing the day even with McNeil.

In a tie for 15th place is sophomore Shealyn Hafer, carding an 83 on her first time through the par-71, 5,914-yard course. Hafer’s lone birdie of the day came on the par-3, 155-yard sixth hole, and she also mixed in six pars in her first round.

Bailee Dexter, who was MSUB’s top finisher at the event in both 2015 and 2016 at sixth place each time, is in a tie for 21st after shooting an 86 Monday. Dexter made par on eight different holes in her opening round.

Rounding out the field of five for MSUB was senior Haley Shackelford, who is tied for 23rd place with an 89 in the opening round. Like Hafer, Shackelford had a birdie on a par-3 hole, hers coming on the 120-yard fifth.

Leading the team race with a score of 305 on Monday is Simon Fraser University, which was the only school to have three players finish under the 80-mark. The Clan’s Emily Leung is the individual leader, and was the only player to shoot par or better with a 1under-par 70.

Junior Sammy Walter matched Kortney McNeil with an 81 for MSUB’s best individual score of the day.

THE BUZZ: McNeil was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…only six players among the field of 30 finished with a score under 80.

COMING UP: The second and final round of the conference tournament tees off Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. Live scoring will be available online through the Golf Stat link here.

2017 GNAC Championships Coeur d’Alene Resort | Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Round 1 Results | April 24, 2017 Team – 1. Simon Fraser, 305; T3. MSU Billings, 331. Individuals – 1. Emily Leung, SFU, 70; T9. Kortney McNeil, MSUB, 81; T9. Sammy Walter, MSUB, 81; T15. Shealyn Hafer, MSUB, 83; T21. Bailee Dexter, MSUB, 86; T23. Haley Shackelford, MSUB, 89.

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