By Evan Giddings, Student Assistant Athletics Communications Director

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's golf team will compete at the 2015 Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26. The tournament will be played at Crosswater Golf Club in Sun River, Oregon.

Each year, the NWC uses a combination of three tournaments to determine the overall team champion. The NWC Fall Classic is worth one-fourth of the title and the NWC Spring Classic is worth one-fourth. The NWC Tournament, the final tournament, counts for one-half of the title.

Currently the Bearcats hold sixth place in the NWC standings having achieved seven points in their first two performances at the NWC Fall and Spring Classic. Atop the rankings stands Whitman College with 14.5 points, just a half-point ahead of George Fox University.

In the first tournament, Willamette placed fifth at the NWC Fall Classic with a 36-hole score of 702 (352-350). The Bearcats were just one stroke behind Pacific Lutheran University, which took fourth place at 701 (357-344). George Fox managed to take the early lead and eventually the Fall Classic, winning at 634 (316-318).

In the NWC Spring Classic, Willamette came in sixth with a combined score 724 (367-357) over 36 holes. Whitman and Whitworth University tied for first place in the team standings at 629, as the Missionaries shot 323-306 and the Pirates recorded 322-307.

At the Fall Classic, Taneesh Sra (Jr., Fremont, CA/Mission San Jose HS) was Willamette's top finisher, as she tied for eighth place at 167. She carded an 85 on the first day and an 82 on the second day. She also tied for fourth place at the Spring Classic with a 36-hole score of 155 (80-75).

Other Bearcats at the Spring Classic included LettaJoe Gallup (Jr., Alameda, CA/Holy Names HS) who tied for 22nd place with a score of 167 (86-81). Maddi Barnett (Fr., Boise, Idaho/Timberline HS) also shot 178 with an 89 in each round, while Holly Steele (Fr., Stayton, OR/Stayton HS) shot 224 (112-112).

In Saturday's first round of the NWC Tournament, Gallup will tee off at 11:15 a.m. (PDT), followed by Sra at 11:24 a.m., Barnett at 11:33 p.m. and Steele at 11:42 p.m. The course will play at 5,803 yards with a par of 72.