March 10, 2003

JUNCTION CITY, Ore. - The San Diego State women's golf team is poised to match its best result of the year as the Aztecs stand in second place after 36 holes at the Oregon Duck Invitational. SDSU, which also finished second against a regional field at the Matador Fall Classic, fired a first-round 308 and followed up with its best score of the season (300) to grab a solid hold of second at 32-over 608.

Washington State (+18, 594), the only team to break 300 in either round, holds a 14-shot lead over the Aztecs. SDSU is seven strokes up on third-place Missouri (+39, 615) and 14 shots clear of fourth-place Idaho (+46, 622).

SDSU is experiencing success on the par-72, 5,982-yard Shadow Hills Country Club course despite soggy and cold conditions. "The course is wet and it's playing longer than its yardage, plus its cold," SDSU coach Felicia Brown said. "But the team has been great. They're very focused on what they need to do and we're in a great position."

The Aztecs counted four scores in the 70s in each round and boast two players in the top four of the individual standings. Junior Shayna Miyajima (Wailuku, Hawaii/Baldwin HS) picked up her play where she left off at the Lady Aztec Invitational three weeks ago, when she tied for second. This time, Miyajima has second all to herself after rounds of 73 and 72 leave her at 1-over 145. She trails first-place Kim Welch of Washington State (-6, 138) by seven shots, but holds a four-stroke advantage on third-place Elin Ohlsson of Missouri (149).

Junior Sandy Kim (West Linn, Ore./West Linn HS) joins Miyajima near the top of the leaderboard and is five shots back of her teammate in fourth place at 6-over 150. Kim followed up a first-round 78 with an even-par 72 in the second round for her best 18 holes of the year.

Senior Claire Riley (San Diego, Calif./Univ. of San Diego HS) cleared 80 in each of her rounds today (79-78) and shares 21st place at 157. Fellow senior Jennifer Hoene (Acampo, Calif./St. Mary's HS) recovered nicely from a first-round 85 with a second-round 78 and tied for 43rd. Also sharing 43rd is redshirt freshman Toni Lutz (Anaheim, Calif./Valley Christian HS), who picked up the slack for the Aztecs in the first round with a career-best 78 before flip-flopping scores with Hoene in the second round with an 85.

"Toni's 78 came in very handy," Brown said. "She went five shots under her average when we really needed it in the first round."

The third and final round of the Oregon Duck Invitational begins tomorrow with an 8:00 a.m. shotgun start.

First- and econd-round scores with relation
to par Mar. 10 at the Oregon Duck Invitational,
played at the par-72, 5,982-yard Shadow Hills
Country Club in Junction City, Ore.

      Fin.   School                   Scores
         1   Washington State U.      295  299    594       +18
         2   San Diego State Univ     308  300    608       +32
         3   Missouri, U. of          310  305    615       +39
         4   Idaho, University of     315  307    622       +46
         5   Portland State Univ.     309  314    623       +47
         6   Colorado State Univ.     313  311    624       +48
         7   Colorado, U. of          312  327    639       +63
         8   Oregon, U. of            323  318    641       +65
         9   Portland, U. of          322  325    647       +71
        10   Oregon Yellow            332  326    658       +82
        11   Santa Clara Univ.        340  319    659       +83
        12   Montana State Univ.      329  331    660       +84

Top 10 Individuals
   Fin.   Name                   School        Scores
      1   Kim Welch              Wash. St.     70   68    138   -6

      2   Shayna Miyajima        S.Diego St    73   72    145   +1

      3   Elin Ohlsson           Missouri      73   76    149   +5

      4   Sandy Kim              S.Diego St    78   72    150   +6

      5   Jay Lee Longbottom     Wash. St.     76   75    151   +7

      6   Maria Valente          Idaho         80   72    152   +8
          Maria Kostina          Wash. St.     75   77    152   +8

      8   Katharine Dorris       Wash. St.     74   79    153   +9

      9   Erin Kerr              Colorado      75   79    154  +10
          Taya Battistella       PortlandST    78   76    154  +10
          Denise Knaebel         Missouri      79   75    154  +10

  Fin.   School                       Scores
     2   San Diego State Univ         308  300    608
         2    Shayna Miyajima          73   72    145
         4    Sandy Kim                78   72    150
      T 21    Claire Riley             79   78    157
      T 43    Jennifer Hoene           85   78    163
      T 43    Toni Lutz                78   85    163