By Timothy Walsh, Athletics Communications Writer

PORTLAND, ORE. -- Led by top five scores from Ryan Kukula (Sr., Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) and Jonathan Ross (Sr., Tukwila, WA/Foster HS),Willamette University was tied for second place in the team standings after one day of play at the 36-hole Pioneer Invitational on Saturday, March 14 at Heron Lakes Golf Club.

Whitworth University, held a the team lead with a score of 308. The Bearcats and Pacific Lutheran University were each six strokes back with a score of 314. Linfield College was in fourth place at 320, and George Fox University held fifth at 329. Pacific University (350), and host Lewis & Clark College (355) were sixth, and seventh, respectively.

Whitworth's Alex Rudnicki led the individual competition with a three-under-par 69. Kukula trailed Rudnicki by just three strokes in second place, with PLU's Mitchell Baldridge in third at 75 and Whitworth's Andrew Dodge in fourth at 76.

Ross and PLU's Thomas Huddleston each carded a 77, good for fifth place, and afive-way tie for seventh featured Des Maisel from the Lewis & Clark and Taylor Klopp, Logan Munson, Kevin Kawasaki, and Kyle Hargrave - all from Linfield - at 79.

Kukula and Ross were the top finishers on Willamette's five-man team, which also featured Peter Mitzel (So., Red Bluff, CA/Red Bluff HS), Clark Wilson(So., Ocean Park, WA/ Ilwaco HS), andSteven Rodriguez (So., Red Bluff, CA/Mercy HS). Mitzel tied for 17th with a score of 81, while Wilson finished tied for 24th, and Rodriguez tied for 33rd place.

Three other members of the Bearcat golf team competed as individuals. Joey Horowitz (Fr., Scottsdale, AZ/Chaparral HS) carded an 80 to finish tied for 12th place. Stephan Bartz (Jr., San Francisco, CA/San Francisco Univ. HS) tied with Wilson for 24th, andCollin Fuller (So., Grants Pass, OR/Grants Pass HS) tied with Rodriguez for 33rd.

The second round of play at Heron Lakes will begin on Sunday, March 15, on the Great Blue Course at Heron Lakes, which has a total distance of 6,719 yards.