Ten shot lead puts Vikings in control
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Barring a complete collapse, the Portland State Vikings appear to be heading to the NCAA Regionals.
The Vikings, led by sophomore Britney Yada, shot a combined two-round score of 590 to take a 10-stroke lead into Wednesday’s final round of the Big Sky Conference Golf Championship at the Ocotillo Golf Resort in Chandler, AZ.
Portland State, finishing the day with a round of 287, have four of the five players on the team — Yada, Kalyn Dodge, Alexia Brown and L.V. Rogers Bomber grad Lauren Taylor — in the top ten.
“They were a little calmer and felt more at ease on the course today (than yesterday),” said Viking Coach Kathleen Takaishi on the university website.
“They had a bad day yesterday. That is their first bad day in five or six rounds, so it happens.”
After ballooning to a 79 during round one, Taylor, heading out on the course first, set the tone for the rest of the team. The pride of Granite Pointe birdied four holes in a row from the third through the sixth.
Taylor finished the front nine at two-under par and the day with a one-over-par 73 on the 6,162-yard, par 72 Ocotillo Golf Resort course.
Firing a 4-under-par 68, Yada tops the individual leader board with a four shot lead over Ashli Helstrom of Montana.
“I told them we shot our average yesterday (303) and that isn’t a bad thing,” said Takaishi. “They just needed to learn from their mistakes, maybe play holes differently that they struggled on.”
The Vikings can wrap up the Big Sky Championship Wednesday when the players take to the course for the final round of the 54-hole tournament.
The NCAA West Regional is May 5-7.
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