Sarasota Springs, UT – Despite being down one player, the Portland State Vikings put on a birdie barrage Tuesday morning at the Big Sky Conference's "54 For IX" Tournament on the way to 296 team total. It was the best single-round score by the Vikings in a calendar year.
 
Portland State made 16 birdies among four players, including six by freshman Momo Udom. She, along with sophomore Bayler Brundage, each shot team-low rounds of one-over par 73. Freshman Cynthia Valerie Ong posted a 74 while senior Mariana Garcia Rosette shot 76.
 
Those scores were a big improvement from day one of the 54-hole tournament as the Vikings finished at 309-311-296=916. They were 13^th among 14 teams.
                                               
Portland State was playing short-handed in the five-scores-to-count-four format. Tannica Porter and Payten Shimizu were unable to play due to illness. That left the Vikings with only four players available, preventing them from having a "throw out" score. Still, all of Tuesday's scores were definitely keepers.
 
Sacramento State ran away with the tournament title, shooting a nine-under par 279 on Tuesday and a tournament total of 847. Northern Arizona was in second place, 14 strokes behind at 861. First-round leader Montana State was third with 869.
 
Scarlet Weidig-Velazquez of Montana State won the individual title with scores of 67-69-71=207. She held off the charge of Natcharee Thanchitnithithanya of Southern Utah who came in at 73-68-67=208.
 
Garcia Rosette was PSU's top finisher, tying for 42^nd among 87 golfers. She posted
73-75-76=224, which was her best score in two seasons.
 
Ong, playing in her first collegiate tournament, came in at 74-77-74=225 to tie for 46th. Udom, also competing for the Vikings for the first time, shot 79-80-73=232 and tied for 67^th.
 
Brundage's 73 marked a career-best round at Portland State and her 235 was a career-low total for a tournament. She placed in a tie for 73^rd.
 

TAP INS

• BIRDIE WATCHING (54 holes): Mariana Garcia Rosette, 10; Momo Udom, 9; Cynthia Valerie Ong, 7; Bayler Brundage, 6
• The last time Portland State shot a better single-round score was a six-over par 294 on Sept. 28 of last year at the Eagle Invitational.
• Portland State plays next Monday and Tuesday at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational in Tacoma. The Vikings compete at the Eagle Invitational in Spokane in two weeks.

 
BIG SKY 54 FOR IX TOURNAMENT
Hosted by the Big Sky Conference
TalonsCove Golf Club
Sept. 25-26, 2023
Par 72/6,350 yards
14 teams/87 players
 
TEAM SCORES
1. Sacramento State, 280-288-279=847
2. Northern Arizona, 289-288-284=861
3. Montana State, 276-295-298=869
4. Weber State, 298-289-286=873
5. Southern Utah, 300-282-292=874
t6. Eastern Washington, 298-289-294=881
t6. Idaho, 298-290-293=881
8. Northern Colorado, 304-294-286=884
9. Utah Valley, 300-297-293=890
t10. Montana 298-299-298=895
t10. Utah Tech, 303-297=295=895
12. Idaho State, 296-315-295=905
13. Portland State, 309-311-296=916
14. Hartford, 322-307-310=939
 
TOP 10 PLAYERS
1. Scarlet Weidig-Velazquez, Montana State, 67-69-71=207
2. Natcharee Thanchitnithithanya, Southern Utah, 73-68-67=208
3. Amy Hodgkins, Northern Arizona, 69-68-72=209
t4. Ellena Slater, Northern Arizona, 71-69-70=210
t4. Ella Kraft, Sacramento State, 69-73-68=210
6. Florence Dufey, Sacramento State, 70-71-70=211
t7. Lexi Wilson, Idaho State, 67-77-69=213
t7. Jennifer Koga, Sacramento State, 72-71-70=213
t7. Tanyatorn Thalangkarn, Southern Utah, 71-72-70=213
t7. Sneha Sharan, Sacramento State, 69-73-71=213
 
PORTLAND STATE SCORES
t42. Mariana Garcia Rosette, 73-75-76=224
t48. Cynthia Valerie Ong, 74-77-74=225
t67. Momo Udom, 79-80-73=232
t73. Bayler Brundage, 83-79-73=235