Final Results
PUEBLO, Colo. – Montana State Billings freshman Melissa Saken led wire-to-wire in the 2011 Colorado State Pueblo Thunderwolf Invitational en route to medalist honors Sunday. Saken carded a 157 (78 – 79) on the par 72, 6,328-yard Desert Hawk Golf Course. The Yellowjackets finished second (664) as a team, three strokes behind Mesa State (661) in the eight-team field.
“I am very proud of the way the women played,” MSUB head coach Shawn O'Brien said. “It shows on any given day any of our players can step up and contribute as Melissa (Saken) did this weekend winning medalist honors.”
Saken, a native of Peers, Alberta, Canada, tallied her best finish of her young career with a 157 as she was the only player in the 47-player field to shoot in the 70s in both rounds. She edged Mesa State's Jennifer Hilts by two strokes. Colorado State-Pueblo's Dominigue Dinallo battled back after carding an 84 yesterday to finish with a 77 and finished third overall with a 161. Adams State's Kelsey McSpadden finished fourth with a 162, while Mesa State's Jessica Berve was fifth with a 164.
“It is very exciting for her (Saken) to win medalist honors as freshman as not too many freshman medalist in their first year,” O'Brien said. “Like Brad Harrelson on the men's team last week, it shows our youngsters can play well and compete at a high level right off the bat.”
The Jackets, Mesa State and Colorado State-Pueblo each shot a 327 on Sunday, but MSUB couldn't quite overcome the three-stroke difference from Saturday. Hilts' 77 Sunday helped the Mavericks keep the Jackets at arms' length. The host Thunderwolves finished third (671), followed by Adams State (678) and Colorado Christian (711) rounded out the top five.
Chadron State College was sixth with a 715 score, followed by Regis University at a 728 and Oklahoma Panhandle State was eighth with an 887 score.
MSUB sophomore, Elizabeth Tikriti, finished ninth after carding an 84 Sunday. She fired an 83 Saturday for a 167 score. Junior Kalli Stanhope finished tied for 10th with a 168 score. Stanhope dropped eight strokes from Saturday (88) to Sunday with an 80. Junior Erin Heaney was 13th with a 172 score (88 – 84), while freshman BreAnna Cameron was tied for 36th with a 191 score. Cameron also improved on Sunday as she dropped five strokes from a 98 yesterday.
The Yellowjackets return to Billings to prepare for the Grand Canyon Invitational Apr. 4-5 in Phoenix, Arizona.
2 Montana St. Billings 337 327 664
1 Melissa Saken 78 79 157
9 Elizabeth Tikriti 83 84 167
T10 Kalli Stanhope 88 80 168
13 Erin Heaney 88 84 172
T36 BreAnna Cameron 98 93 191
