Boulder City, NV – Sisters Cynthia Valerie Ong and Caithlyn Ong led the Portland State Vikings to their best tournament score in eight seasons as the Vikings wrapped up the Jackrabbits Invitational at Boulder Creek Golf Club in fifth place. The Ongs each finished tied for eighth place with two-over par 218 totals in the 54-hole event.
 
The Vikings, who got good play from the entire team, shot 294-293-291=878 for their fifth-place standing among 10 teams. The four teams ahead of them all had higher national rankings, and only a four-under par 284 on the final day by St. Thomas kept the Vikings out of fourth place.
 
UNLV posted a 12-under par team total of 285-283-284=852 to win by 13 strokes over South Dakota State (865). Morehead State was third at 867, St. Thomas fourth with 877 and the Vikings fifth at 878.
 
Pin Hsi Chen of UNLV won the individual title with 71-68-68 for a nine-under 207 total. McKenzie Mages of South Dakota State and Foong Zi Yu of UNLV tied for second at 211.
 
PSU's final round 291 is the best single-round team score in seven years. The last time Portland State shot better was an even-par 288 in the final round of the 2019 Big Sky Championship on the same Boulder Creek course.
 
Cynthia Valerie Ong, a junior, made six birdies on Tuesday on the way to a career-best two-under par 70. She climbed 10 spots on the leaderboard and shot 77-71-70=218 to tie her sister. Freshman Caithlyn Ong established a new career-low with her 218 total. Her even-par 72s in rounds two and three were single-round bests.
 
Maddie Dustin, a sophomore, posted her second-best tournament score of the season with 72-73-78=223 as she finished 24^th among 63 golfers.
 
Senior Bayler Brundage had a big final day, making two birdies and an eagle on the way to a one-under par 71. Brundage climbed 10 spots on the leaderboard to place 30^th with 75-79-71=225. Her eagle came on the 540-yard, par five 17^th hole.
 
Payten Shimizu, also a senior, came in with 73-77-79=229 and was 39^th. Freshman Francesca Tomp placed 48^th with 74-77-82=234.
 
In all, the Vikings had 46 birdies and one eagle as a team over the three rounds. They ranked second in birdies among the 10 teams.

TAP-INS

• BIRDIE WATCHING (54 holes): Cynthia Valerie Ong, 12; Caithlyn Ong, 9;  Maddie Dustin, 7; Bayler Brundage, 7 (1 eagle); Payten Shimizu, 7; Francesca Tomp, 4
• VIKING BESTS FROM THE JACKRABBITS INVITATIONAL: Cynthia Valerie Ong, 70 (3rd round) – PSU career low round. Maddie Dustin, 72 (1^st round) – matches season-low round. Caithlyn Ong, 72 (2^nd round and 3^rd round) – new PSU career low round; 218 – career-low tournament. Bayler Brundage, 225 – career-low tournament. Francesca Tomp, 234 – matches career-low tournament
• Portland State's next tournament is Apr. 13-15 at the Bobcat Desert Classic in Goodyear, AZ. The Big Sky Conference Championship is Apr. 20-22 in Litchfield, AZ.

 

JACKRABBITS INVITATIONAL
BOULDER CREEK GOLF CLUB, BOULDER CITY, NV
MAR. 16-17, 2026
PAR 72, 6,383 YARDS
10 TEAMS/63 PLAYERS

 
TEAM SCORES
1. UNLV, 285-283-284=852
2. Morehead State, 287-290-290=867
3. South Dakota State, 295-284-286=865
4. St. Thomas, 295-298-284=877
5. Portland State, 294-293-291=878
6. Oral Roberts, 291-300-296=887
7. Omaha, 307-293-291=891
8. CSUN, 312-302-290=904
9. IU-Indianapolis, 311-308-308=927
10. Northern Iowa, 321-320-315=956
 
TOP 10 PLAYERS
1. Pin Hsi Chen, UNLV, 71-68-68=207
t2. Foong Zi Yu, UNLV, 70-69-72=211
t2. McKenzie Mages, South Dakota State, 73-69-69=211
t4. Amelia Greenlee, Morehead State, 69-70-73=212
t4. Isabella Wiley, Morehead State, 69-73-70=212
t4. Caitlin Shippam, UNLV, 74-70-68=212
7. Demi Du, UNLV, 73-72-68=213
t8. Caithlyn Ong, Portland State, 74-72-72=218
t8. Cynthia Valerie Ong, Portland State, 77-71-70=218
t8. Molly O'Hara, South Dakota State, 75-70-73=218
t8. Emma Davies, St. Thomas, 72-76-70=218 

PORTLAND STATE SCORES
t8. Caithlyn Ong, 74-72-72=218
t8. Cynthia Valerie Ong, 77-71-70=218
24. Maddie Dustin, 72-73-78=223
30. Bayler Brundage, 75-79-71=225
39. Payten Shimizu, 73-77-79=229
48. Francesca Tomp (IND), 74-77-82=234