Press Release
10/21 - NWC FALL CLASSIC: Bruins Shoot 702 to Finish Third in NWC Fall Classic
PENDLETON, Ore. - In only their second season of intercollegiate competition, the George Fox women's golf team has shown tremendous improvement, the latest example of that being the Bruins' third-place finish in the Northwest Conference Fall Classic Oct. 20-21 at the Wildhorse Resort Golf Course in Pendleton, Ore.
Head coach MaryJo McCloskey attributes that success to her team's depth, pointing out that "it was a total team effort. All six of our players contributed a score that counted on either the first or second day, so we couldn't have done it without all of them."
After a difficult first day weather-wise, the cold wind subsided during the final round on Sunday and overall scores dipped lower for the most part, leading to an exciting finish for the Bruins. The George Fox team improved by 32 strokes and fired a red-hot team score of 335 on the second day of play to earn their third-place finish. Other schools, including last year's NWC champions, Puget Sound, and another top team contender, Linfield, also made strong moves on the second day but could not catch the conference's newest team.
Four Bruins had their best rounds of the season on the second day and helped hold onto their team's first-round position. Brittany Zefkeles came in with an 82, which was eight strokes better than her first-day score and led the Bruins with a two-day total of 172. Whitney Clunes fired an 80, improving by 14 strokes over her first-day score for a two-day total of 174. Nicole Hudson fired an 85, with a two-day total of 181, and Christine Collier finished out the second day's team score with an 88, for a two-day total of 183.
Brianna Nap (90-89=179) and Mandy Cameron (93-93=186) both contributed to the team's first-day score of 367 in the tough, windy conditions. Nap and Zefkeles led the team on the first day with 90's.
Pacific University hung onto its first-round lead and won the tournament on the par-72, 5,810-yard course with a 665, ahead of Whitworth 676. George Fox was next at 702, followed by Linfield at 712, Puget Sound at 720, Pacific Lutheran University at 737, and Willamette University at 848. Lewis & Clark College and Whitman College had individuals participating, but did not have the necessary four players for earning team scores.
Linfield's Brynn Hurdus took medalist honors with a 159, beating Pacific's Kelly Hartley by four strokes. GFU had four players finishing in the top 20 as individuals: Zefkeles (172) tied for 10th, Whitney Clunes (174) tied for 15th, Nap (179) was 18th, and Hudson (181) was 20th.
George Fox now moves into the spring half of the season with a strong position in the Northwest Conference point standings. The NWC Fall Classic counts 25% toward the final NWC standings. George Fox earned six points toward the final season total by defeating six schools in the tournament. At the end of the 2007-08 season, the NWC Championship is determined by results posted at the NWC Fall Classic (25%), the NWC Spring Classic (25%) and the NWC Tournament (50%).