Monday, April 24, 2017

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – After the first round of the GNAC Championships, Simon Fraser sophomore Emily Leung leads the conference with a 1-under-par 70 as the Clan leads the GNAC with a 21-over-par 305 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course on Monday.

The defending champions had each of its four scoring players finish inside the top 10 of the first round to take a eight-stroke lead over Western Washington. Leung was joined in the top five by Kylie Jack with a 5-over-par 76 for third place and Belinda Lin with a 7-over-par 78 for fifth place. Jaya Rampuri claimed the Clan’s No. 4 spot with a 10-over-par 81 to finish in a tie for ninth place.

Leung recorded three birdies in the first round and scored par or better in 16 rounds. The sophomore recorded her first birdie on the fifth hole, finishing it in two strokes. Leung finished in a tie for 18th place at the event last year and had scored a 10-over-par 81 after the first round. Jack finished in a tie for third at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course last year and recorded 14 pars in the first round.

“It’s nice to play out here, so you just have to focus on taking it one shot at a time,” Leung said. “The fourth hole is short, but it’s a really challenging hole, so I was happy to get a par on that one. We’re pretty excited about this start and carrying over the momentum until tomorrow.”

Western Washington is second in the team rankings with a 29-over-par 313 with the help of a strong start by junior Jenn Paul, who finished four strokes behind Leung at 4-over-par 75. Paul in a tie for third place with Jack last year and enters the second round leading Jack by one stroke.

Western Washington placed three other players in the top 10, including Hannah Drake who is in fourth place with a 6-over-par 77. Drake recorded a birdie on the first hole to take the early lead in the tournament, but when Leung recorded her first birdie on the fifth hole, Drake took a bogey to drop out of top slot. Audrey Orem registered two birdies in the first round and finished with a 9-over-par 80 for a tie for seventh place.

Montana State Billings and Concordia finished the first round in a tie for third place at 47-over-par 331. Between the two teams, three players finished at 10-over-par 81. Shantel Antonio led Concordia with three birdies, including finishing the famous floating green in just two shots for her second consecutive birdie.

For MSUB, both Kortney McNeil and Sammy Walter were a part of the tie for ninth place. The two scored a combined 18 pars and Walter went on a run of three birdies in four holes. Shealyn Hafer was just a stroke behind with a 12-over-par 83 to finish in a tie for 15th place.

Northwest Nazarene is in fifth place after the first round with a 57-over-par 341 and had two players finish inside the top 10. Sisters Stephanie and Samantha Miller finished within a stroke of each other with Stephanie in sixth place at 8-over-par 79 ahead of Samantha at 9-over-par 80.

Saint Martin’s placed one player inside the top 10 in TiAnna Ford, who was a part of the tie for ninth place at 10-over-par 81. Chloe Read carded a 14-over-par 85 for 20th place.