By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SPOKANE, Wash. -- The Willamette University women's golf team competed in the first round of the Northwest Conference Tournament on Saturday, April 17 at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club. Willamette ended the day in ninth place in the team standings.

Analyssa Ruiz (Sr./So., Keizer, OR/Blanchet Catholic School) and Alexis Schwartz (Sr./So., Ontario, OR/Ontario HS) each shot 110 for the Bearcats. Kiki Fierstos (Jr./So., Redmond, OR/Redmond HS) carded a 127, while Meghan Hook (Jr./So., Sunnyvale, CA/Homestead HS) shot a 134.

George Fox University topped the team leaderboard at 307. The Bruins, who won the NWC Fall Classic and the NWC Spring Classic, owned a 39-stroke lead after Saturday's 18 holes. Whitman College was second at 346, just two shots in front of Whitworth University, which held third place at 348. Pacific Lutheran University was fourth at 350, while Pacific University was fifth at 387, and Lewis & Clark College held sixth place at 399. The University of Puget Sound followed in seventh place at 403, with Linfield University in eighth at 447 and Willamette in ninth at 481.

Four GFU golfers were leading the individual competition. Alison Takamiya finished the round in first place at 3-over 75. Alex McMenamin and Allie Slingsby were tied for second place at 77. Kaitlyn Tonai was fourth with a 78. Emma Beyer from Whitman and GFU's Mackensie Toole shared fifth place at 82. Pacific Lutheran teammates Sophie Kass and Nicole Matiatos were tied for seventh place with scores of 83.

The NWC Tournament will conclude with the second round on Sunday, April 18, starting at 8:12 a.m. (PDT). Hook will tee off for WU at 8:12 a.m. (PDT), followed by Fierstos at 8:21, Schwartz at 8:30, and Ruiz at 8:39.