Taylor, Vikes take aim at NCAA Regional Tournament
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By The Nelson Daily Sports
Granite Pointe’s Lauren Taylor and the rest of the Portland State Vikings team take to the Washington Golf Club in Auburn, WA. Thursday to compete in the NCAA West Regional Women’s Golf Tournament.
Taylor is joined by Big Sky Championship teammates Britney Yada, Tiffany Schoning, Kalyn Dodge and Alexia Brown.
The Vikes enter the 24-team, 54-hole tournament, as the 20th seeded team.
The competition at the West Regional will be a huge test of Portland State as some of the top-ranked teams in the nation, including Pac-10 Champion, USC, will be among the competitors. Other top-25 nationally-ranked teams playing in the regional are Virginia, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Pepperdine, Iowa State and UC Davis.
The top eight teams from the West Regional will advance to the NCAA Championship Tournament, May 18-21, at the Traditions Golf Club in State College, TX.
Taylor, 19, enters the NCAA Regional with some of the top freshman numbers in Portland State University history.
The L.V. Rogers Bomber grad won two tournaments this season on the Big Sky circuit in California — Cal State Fullerton Folino Invitational and UC Irvine Anteater Invitational.
Those accomplishments did not go unnoticed as Taylor earned Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year accolades — the first freshman from Portland State to claim the honour.
Taylor also was named to the All- Big Sky Conference Team with Schoning and Yada. Dodge was named to the second team.
All-Conference honors are based on Golfstat.com national player rankings.
Taylor’s scoring average of 75.80 is the best ever by a PSU freshman. She also tied a school scoring record for a 36-hole tournament with an even par 144 at the Folino.
Taylor is a two-time Big Sky Conference Golfer of the Week.
Taylor tees off Thursday at 1:25 p.m., Friday at 8:55 a.m. and Saturday at 1:25 p.m.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
