Chris Day
ASC Sports Information
The Mesa State College Mavericks had four players fire scores in the 70’s as they posted a fine Wednesday team score of 303 while cruising to a 35-stroke win over Fort Hays State (Kan.) and the rest of the 6-team field at the Grizzly Invitational women’s golf tournament, played last Tuesday and Wednesday here at Cattails Golf Course.
Meanwhile, the host Adams State College Grizzlies, led by career-best rounds of 79 by both senior Codi Hegg and junior Kelsey McSpadden, set new school records for single-round and 2-day tournament scores while moving up two spots into third place in the final team standings.
Mesa State’s Jessica Berve was the top overall Maverick and the individual medalist as she carded a round of 5-over par 75 on Wednesday increasing what was a single-shot lead over Fort Hays State’s Kiley Johansen to a 6-stroke win over teammate Jennifer Hilts, who finished Wednesday’s round with the low score, a 74. Berve, who had carded a 74 on Tuesday, finished the tournament with a 2-day total of 149 (+7). She also led the field with four birdies throughout the tournament.
Hilts finished with a 2-day score of 155 while Johansen struggled to an 83 on Wednesday finishing in a third place tie with Mesa State’s Michelle Stripp at 158. Stripp, who made the tournament’s only eagle on the par-5 third hole on Wednesday, carded a round of 76.
Meanwhile, Hegg and McSpadden led the Grizzly charge that saw the team finish with a round of 325, an incredible 8-stroke lowering of their former single-round school record of 332, set at last fall’s Regis Invitational. The Grizzlies, who were in fifth place after Tuesday’s round, also finished with a 2-day total of 664, a full seven shots better than the former program record. In the process, they zoomed past both Colorado State-Pueblo and Regis, which had come into the day in third place.
Colorado State-Pueblo, which posted a second straight team score of 333, took fourth at 666 while Regis slid back to fifth at 674 after combining for a 342 on Wednesday. Colorado Christian rounded out the field at 701.
McSpadden finished in a 10th place tie individually with a 2-day score of 165, seven shots better than her former 2-round best. Her Wednesday round of 79 was a full 4-shot improvement over her former career best.
Meanwhile, senior Kendall Martin (Tucson, Ariz.) and freshman Kyra Garrison (Farmington, N.M.) finished just behind and in the top half of the field. Martin carded a round of 84 on Wednesday finishing in 13th at 166 while Garrison posted a Wednesday round of 83, a single stroke improvement over Tuesday, finishing 14th at 167.
Hegg, who had struggled to a 91 on Tuesday, finished 18th at 170 after posting her best single-round by two shots.
Grizzly sophomore Samantha Hall also fared better Wednesday posting a round of 85 to finish 20th with a 2-day total of 172.
The Grizzlies and the rest of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference will head south next week competing in the first of four RMAC Championship events in Silver City, N.M. Western New Mexico, tabbed as RMAC co-favorites with Mesa State according to the conference’s preseason coaches’ poll, will serve as that tournament’s host.
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