By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Willamette University finished in third place at the 2015 Northwest Conference Spring Classic, as the tournament concluded on Sunday, April 12 at Olympia Country & Golf Club. Whitworth University won the team championship with a score of 608. Pacific Lutheran University was second at 625 and Willamette was one stroke behind the Lutes at 626.

Ryan Kukula (Sr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) of Willamette finished in a three-way tie for fifth place at 151 (75-76). Steven Rodriguez (Jr., Red Bluff, CA/Mercy HS) from Willamette was 12th at 156 (77-79).

Whitworth carded 308-300 to lead the nine NWC teams. Pacific Lutheran shot 315-310, while Willamette shot 310-316.

University of Puget Sound was fourth at 634 (322-312) and Linfield College was fifth at 641 (327-314). George Fox University placed sixth at 646 (328-381), Pacific University was seventh at 678 (351-327), Whitman College took eighth at 683 (351-332), and Lewis & Clark College was ninth at 766 (395-371).

Taylor Klopp of Linfield won a tie-breaker for medalist honors after he matched Samson Martinez of Whitworth University with 36-hole scores of 147. Klopp shot 76-71 and Martinez carded 73-74. On the first tie-breaker hole, Klopp earned a birdie, while Martinez recorded a par

Mitchell Baldridge from Pacific Lutheran and Ben Hayes from University of Puget Sound tied for third place at 150. Baldridge registered rounds of 80 and 70, while Hayes shot 78 and 72.

Kukula was tied for fifth with Andrew Grove of George Fox and Oliver Rudnicki of Whitworth, as all three trailed Baldridge and Hayes by just one stroke. Grove carded 798-73--151 and Rudnicki recorded 79-72--151. Daniel Hoffman of Whitman was alone in eighth place at 154 (78-76).

In addition to Kukula and Rodriguez, other competitors for the Bearcats were Jonathan Ross (Sr., Tukwila, WA/Foster HS), Peter Mitzel (So., Red Bluff, CA/Red Bluff HS) and Clark Wilson (So., Ocean Park, WA/ Ilwaco HS).

Ross placed 16th out of 43 golfers with a score of 160, as he shot 79-81. Mitzel and Wilson each concluded the 36 holes at 162, with Mitzel shooting 79-83 and Wilson shooting 82-80.

The Bearcats will host the Willamette Spring Thaw on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 in Bend, Oregon. The tournament will be held at Broke Top Club.