Team Scores | Individual Scores | Team/Player Combo Scores

Dove Canyon, CA - Behind a second straight individual championship from freshman Lauren Taylor, the Portland State women's golf team captured the Anteater Invitational title on Tuesday at Dove Canyon Country Club.

Portland State started the day in second place, two shots behind Long Beach State, but roared ahead early and took the victory. Only a brilliant final round 290 by Nevada made the PSU win marginally close. The Vikings, who had finished second, third or fourth in each of their last six tournaments, finally picked up their first win of the year. PSU shot 296-298-296=890 to beat Nevada by six strokes (300-306-290=896) and host UC Irvine by nine (301-305-293=899). Long Beach State placed fourth with 900.

Taylor shot a final-round 75 to win medalist honors by two shots (71-72-75=218) over Joyce Chong of Nevada (71-79-70=220). Last week, the Nelson, BC native became the first Viking freshman ever to win a tournament. Taylor took the 36-hole Folino Invitational with an even par 70-74=144. This week's win on the par-71 Dove Canyon Course makes her only the third Viking to win twice in a career.

Needless to say, Head Coach Kathleen Takaishi is thrilled with the play of her freshman: "I knew she was good, I didn't know she would be this good, this soon. She struggled a little down the stretch, but 17 and 18 aren't easy holes."

Taylor had a lot of help in leading the Vikings to the win. Junior Tiffany Schoning shot an even-par 71 on Tuesday for her best round of the spring. She made four birdies, including three on the toughest stretch of the course.

"Tiffany birdied 16, 17 and 18 all in a row," said Takaishi. "That gave her some confidence leading into next week (at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic)."

Senior Alexia Brown and sophomore Britney Yada matched Taylor with 75s on Tuesday. "Alexia is really close to playing very well. She is hitting the ball well and just needs to be a little better at getting up-and-down. She was four over early then finished very strong the last nine holes."

PSU's 890 total is the second-best 54-hole tournament score in school history (although in relation to par - +38 - it ranks as fifth-best).

Yada tied for fourth on the individual leaderboard for the second week in a row. She started with a brilliant two-under par 69 to open the tournament on Monday and finished at 221 overall. She now has six straight top-10 finishes in tournaments.

Brown had a steady week, tying for 16th at 76-77-75=228. Schoning's 71 helped her climb 12 positions on the leaderboard Tuesday. She finished in a tie for 20th (81-77-71=229).

Kalyn Dodge shot 80-72-79=231 and placed 23rd among the 63 golfers entered.

"Last week and this week should give them some confidence for next week's tournament (which features most of the Big Sky Conference schools)," said Takaishi. "Hopefully everyone continues to play well and to their potential at the Big Sky Championship."

TAP-INS: Taylor's eight birdies over three rounds led the Vikings. She now has a 75.75 scoring average in 12 competitive rounds to lead the team… Britney Yada is second with a scoring average of 76.25 over 24 rounds. Yada posted a school-record 76.37 scoring average in 2009-10… Yada's score of 69 in the first round was the fourth sub-70 score of the year by a Viking and one shot off the school record. Tiffany Schoning and Yada have done it twice each. The other three occasions came on par-72 courses… the Vikings are 70-21-1 in head-to-head scoring against all schools this season, 14-1 against Big Sky Conference schools… Portland State has now recorded eight sub-300 rounds this year in 24 total rounds played. Prior to this season, the most sub-300 rounds in a full year were six in 32 rounds in 2003-04… Portland State has won 10 golf tournaments since the start of the 2000-01 season, including five Big Sky Championships (see below)… PSU was 12th among 15 teams at last season's Anteater Invitational… freshman Loren Forney, playing as an individual, shot 92-91-84=267…the Vikings play at the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic next Monday and Tuesday, then travel to the Big Sky Championship on April 18-20. Both tournaments take place the Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, AZ.

The Anteater Invitational
hosted by UC Irvine
Dove Canyon Country Club, Dove Canyon, CA
Mar. 27-28, 2011
par 71, 5,890 yards
12 teams/63 golfers

Team Scores (Golfstat ranking)
1. Portland State (82), 296-298-296=890
2. Nevada (88), 300-306-290=896
3. UC Irvine (90), 301-305-293=899
4. Long Beach State (74), 292-300-308=900
5. Idaho (99), 312-309-293=914
6. Cal State Fullerton (165), 318-312-297=927
7. Iowa (129), 307-316-306=929
8. UC Riverside (141), 298-321-313=932
9. San Francisco (106), 313-311-314=938
10. Cal State Northridge (121), 318-323-304=945
11. Hawaii (150), 322-319-325=966
12.  Northern Colorado (176), 329-326-330=985

Top 10 Individual Scores
1. Lauren Taylor, Portland State, 71-72-75=218
t2. Joyce Chong, Nevada, 71-79-70=220
t2. Kayla Mortellaro, Idaho, 71-77-72=220
t4. Britney Yada, Portland State, 69-77-75=221
t4. Jamie Yam, Nevada, 76-73-72=221
t4. Patty Chawalitmetha, UC Irvine, 74-75-72=221
7. Michelle Park, UC Irvine, 75-74-73=222
t8. Reina Rogers, Long Beach State, 74-71-78=223
t8. Monica Villareal, Long Beach State, 70-82-71=223
t8. Simone Hoey, Long Beach State, 76-73-74=223

Portland State Golfers
1. Lauren Taylor, 71-72-75=218
t4. Britney Yada, 69-77-75=221
t16. Alexia Brown, 76-77-75=228
t20. Tiffany Schoning, 81-77-71=229
23. Kalyn Dodge, 80-72-79=231
61. Loren Forney (individual), 92-91-84=267

All-Time Portland State Tournament Team Titles
2000-01: Cal State Northridge Classic
2002-03: Big Sky Conference Championship
2003-04: Colorado/Heather Farr Memorial; Bronco Fall Classic; Big Sky Conference Championship
2004-05: Big Sky Conference Championship
2007-08: Big Sky Conference Championship
2008-09: Bulldog and Eagle Invitational
2009-10: Big Sky Conference Championship
2010-11: Anteater Invitational

All-Time Portland State Tournament Medalists
2000-01: Taya Battistella, Big Sky Championship
2002-03: Taya Battistella, Big Sky Championship
2003-04: Rebecca Randolph, Bronco Fall Classic
2007-08: Kayla Morinaga, Heather Farr/Colorado Memorial; Hannah Bews, Big Sky Championship
2008-09: Stephanie Johns, Bulldog and Eagle Invitational
2010-11: Tiffany Schoning, OSU/Washington Triangle (1 round/tie) and Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational; Lauren Taylor, Folino Invitational and Anteater Invitational