By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director

SUNRIVER, Ore. -- Three Willamette University golfers competed during the first day of the 2015 Northwest Conference Fall Classic in women's golf on Saturday, Oct. 10 with action on The Woodlands Course at Sunriver Resort. Taneesh Sra led the Bearcats with a score of 88 over the tournament's first 18 holes.

Sra was tied for 18th place at the end of the first round. Teammate Maddi Barnett (So., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) shot an 89 and was tied for 20th. Aubryn Walters (Fr., Lafayette, OR/McMinnville HS) of Willamette shot 124.

Sydney Maluenda from George Fox University led the field with a 1-over-par 73. Whitworth University golfers Chesea Bayley and Michal Schuster were tied for second at 75. Kristin Elich from GFU held fourth place at 76.

Two competitors, Shiyang Fan and Alyssa Maine, both from Whitman, were tied for fifth at 78. Phoebe Nguyen of Whitman and Hailey Ostrom of George Fox shared sixth place at 79. A total of 43 golfers completed the first round.

Maluenda led George Fox to first place in the team standings at the end of the day, as the Bruins scored 309. Whitworth was second at 325 and Whitman was third at 335. Lewis & Clark College held fourth place at 343.

Pacific Lutheran University was fifth at 358, with Linfield College in sixth at 378, Pacific University in seventh at 409 and University of Puget Sound in eight at 425. Willamette did not field a full team.

The NWC Fall Classic will continue with the final round on Sunday, Oct. 10 at The Woodlands Course.