Litchfield, AZ – The Portland State Vikings are on track for their highest finish at the Big Sky Conference Championship in five seasons after another strong performance in round two at Wigwam Resort.
 
The Vikings shot 296 total on Tuesday to match their Monday score. They are currently in sixth place with a 592 score after 36 holes of the Championship. The final round comes on Wednesday.
 
PSU's score was the same on Tuesday, but the difference was the course played harder as average scoring went up by nearly a stroke per player. Portland State had the fourth-best team score for the round and that allowed the Vikings to move up from seventh to sixth in the 10-team field. They are only one shot behind fifth-place Idaho (591) and three shots behind fourth-place Sacramento State (589).
 
It appears Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado will battle for the Big Sky title as they are separated by only five strokes heading into Wednesday's final round. NAU leads with a three-under par total of 565. UNC is in second place at 570.
 
Nine players were under par after Monday's round, but the more difficult conditions left only four players under par after Tuesday. Nina Lukyanenko of NAU leads with 68-70=138. Jaci Hartman of UNC is second at 73-67=140.
 
Cynthia Valerie Ong and Maddie Dustin have been the top scorers for the Vikings. They are tied for 14^th at four-over par 146. Dustin shot 73 on Tuesday, while Caithlyn Ong posted a team-best 72. Caithlyn is one shot back at 147.
 
Dustin, a sophomore, and Cynthia Valerie Ong, a junior, are tied for 14^th. Freshman Caithlyn Ong is tied for 19^th.
 
Senior Payten Shimizu has carded 77-76=153 over two days. Bayler Brundage, also a senior, has shot 78-78=156.
 

TAP-INS

• BIRDIE WATCHING (36 holes): Cynthia Valerie Ong, 3; Maddie Dustin, 3; Bayler Brundage, 3; Caithlyn Ong, 3; Payten Shimizu, 1.
• Portland State has played steady golf. Although the Vikings are last in total birdies (13), they are first in total pars by a wide margin (122). Northern Arizona is second with 111 pars... Maddie Dustin has the most pars in the field with 27, while Cynthia Valerie Ong has 26, Caithlyn Ong has 25 and Payten Shimizu has 24.
• Portland State has posted 11 rounds in the 290s as a team this season (out of 26). PSU had only two such rounds last season. The last time PSU had more rounds under 300 was the 2017-18 season.
• The final round of the Big Sky Championship is on Wednesday with tee times beginning at 6:30 a.m. Portland State will tee off between 7:50-8:30. Live scoring can be found at: https://scoreboard.clippd.com/tournaments/242922/scoring/team

 

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
Wigwam Golf Resort – Blue Course
April 20-22, 2026
Par 71/5,981 yards
10 teams/50 players

 
TEAM SCORES
1. Northern Arizona, 282-283=565
2. Northern Colorado, 284-286=570
3. Montana State, 284-299=583
4. Sacramento State, 287-302=589
5. Idaho, 297-294=591
6. Portland State, 296-296=592
7. Idaho State, 290-304=594
8. Weber State, 294-302=596
t9. Montana, 305-304=609
t9. Eastern Washington, 310-299=609
 
TOP 10 PLAYERS
1. Nina Lukyanenko, Northern Arizona, 68-70=138
2. Jaci Hartman, Northern Colorado, 73-67=140
t3. Frankie Dezis, Northern Arizona, 70-71=141
t3. Norah Siedl, Montana State, 68-73=141
t5. Sofia Fuenmayor, Weber State, 70-72=142
t5. Olivia Salonek, Northern Colorado, 71=71=142
t7. Sophia Lee, Sacramento State, 67-76=143
t7. Samantha Colombine, Northern Colorado, 69-74=143
t7. Amy Hodgkins, Northern Arizona, 72-71=143
t7. Lizzie Neale, Northern Arizona, 71-71=143
 
PORTLAND STATE PLAYERS
t14. Cynthia Valerie Ong, 71-75=146
t14. Maddie Dustin, 73-73=146
19. Caithlyn Ong, 75-72=147
33. Payten Shimizu, 77-76=153
44. Bayler Brundage, 78-78=156