MISSOULA, Mont. — Trailing by two shots going into the 54th hole of the Sun Mountain Intercollegiate, Portland State golfer Cynthia Valerie Ong pulled off a bit of magic. The senior birdied the 18th hole at the Missoula Country Club while Montana's Zoe Bar-Or bogeyed, giving Ong co-medalist honors with Bar-Or at the tournament.
 
Ong becomes the Vikings' first tournament medalist since Valerie Hernandez and Jasmine Cabajar won a pair of dual tournaments in the spring of 2021. No Vikings had earned medalist honors at a non-dual tournament since Tara Finigan won the Bobcat Spring Invitational in April 2018.
 
Ong's strong finish came as she recovered from an opening double bogey on the first hole of Tuesday's third round. That dropped her three shots behind Bar-Or after the two finished Monday's opening two rounds just a stroke apart. A bogey on the par 5 fifth hole put Ong four shots behind Bar-Or, but she quickly made up three strokes over the next two holes and trailed her by one entering the back nine.
 
Bogeys on the 14th and 16th dropped Ong three strokes behind Bar-Or again with two holes to go. She parred the 17th while Bar-Or bogeyed, then made up the remaining two strokes on the 18th.
 
Ong finished with a one-over 72 for the day, her best round of the tournament. She finished seven-over (75-73-72) for the tournament.
 
Maddie Dustin had been tied with Ong for second after the opening day Monday. She had a tough start to the day with bogeys on the first three holes, then a double on the par 4 eighth hole. Like Ong, she closed strong, though, with back-to-back birdies on the 17th and 18th holes.
 
Dustin finished tied for third at 11-over (76-72-76=222) for the tournament. The third-place finish represented a career-best finish at a tournament for Dustin. Additionally, her 222-tournament score was one off her 54-hole career best.
 
Caithlyn Ong gave the Vikings a third player in the top 10, tying for 10th with a 17-over 230 (79-75-76). Momo Udom and Francesca Tomp finished tied for 21st and 23rd, respectively. Udom shot a 245 (80-81-84) at the tournament while Tomp carded a 249 (77-83-89).
 
The Vikings finished third out of the four teams at the tournament. Host Montana won with a tournament score of 902 (308-295-299). Idaho State placed second at 913 (311-302-300), three shots ahead of the Vikings at 916 (307-301-308). Eastern Washington finished three shots back of the Vikings at 919 (317-301-301).
 
The Vikings will close out their fall schedule next week at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational, Oct. 5-6, at the Tacoma Golf Club in Tacoma, Wash.
 
 
TAP-INS:

• BIRDIE WATCHING (through all three rounds): Maddie Dustin, 9; Cynthia Valerie Ong, 7; Caithlyn Ong, 5; Momo Udom, 3; Francesca Tomp, 1.
• Ong moved past Alyssa Waite (136 birdies between 2013-16) for ninth in program history with 137 career birdies.
• Eight of Ong's nine rounds so far this season have been under her career scoring average of 75.87. Her current season scoring average of 73.33 this season would be a program record.
• Dustin's nine birdies are tied for her second-highest total at a single tournament as a Viking. She had 10 birdies at the Bobcat Desert Classic last spring.

 
Sun Mountain Intercollegiate
Missoula Country Club
Sept. 28-29, 2026
Par 71/6,226 yards
4 teams/23 players
 
Team Scores
1. Montana, 308-295-299=902
2. Idaho State, 311-302-300=913
3. Portland State, 307-301-308=916
4. Eastern Washington, 317-301-301=919
 
Top 10 Players
T1. Cynthia Valerie Ong,  75-73-72=220
T1. Zoe Bar-Or, Montana, 77-70-73=220
T3. Maddie Dustin, 76-72-76=224
T3. Venus Yong, Idaho State, 77-75-72=224
T3. Spencer Cerenzia, Eastern Washington, 80-74-70=224
6. Bella Johnson, Montana, 81-75-70=226
T7. Izzy Hassebrock*, Idaho State, 76-76-76=228
T7. Esha Reddy, Eastern Washington, 82-74-72=228
9. Kaylie Parola, Idaho State, 76-74-79=229
T10. Kate Bogenschutz, Montana, 78-74-78=230
T10. Caithlyn Ong, Portland State, 79-75-76=230
 
Portland State Golfers
T1. Cynthia Valerie Ong, 75-73-72=220
T3. Maddie Dustin, 76-72-76=224
T10. Caithlyn Ong, Portland State, 79-75-76=230
T21. Momo Udom, 80-81-84=245
23. Francesca Tomp, 77-83-89=249