(RMC release)
LAS VEGAS – The No. 10 ranked Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears kicked off the spring season with a first place victory in a field of eight teams at the MJGA Collegiate in Las Vegas, Nev.
The Battlin’ Bears posted a team score of 328 in the first round to place them in second behind cross-town rival MSU-Billings who scored the lowest round of the tournament with 318. The Battlin’ Bears vaulted to first with a second round of 327 for a total team score of 79-over-par 655. After a second round of 341, the Yellowjackets finished in second with a total team score of 83-over-par 659.
Eryn Ellis, the 2018 Frontier Conference Women’s Golfer of the Year, secured individual honors after shooting 13-over-par 157. During round one, Ellis shot the second lowest round of the invitational with a score of 76.
Morgan O’Neil shot 19-over-par 163 to place in third.
Anna DeMars tied for sixth with MSU-Billings’ Tierney Messmer with a score of 21-over-par 165. Hayden Flohr tied for tenth with a score of 26-over-par 170.
Amanda Conner tied for 15th after shooting 31-over-par 175.
Kaelyn Volk shot 46-over-par 190 for a 26th place finish.
With this win, the Battlin’ Bears continue their success from the fall season where they placed first in every invitational. The Battlin’ Bears will stay in Las Vegas, Nev., to participate in the Winona State Invitational on March 12-13.
The No. 7 ranked Battlin’ Bear men meanwhile finished in third at the MJGA Collegiate.
Rocky finished behind Westminster College and Winona State University with a team score of 906 after shooting 42-over-par.
Mitchell Thiessen led Rocky Mountain College with a fourth place finish on a score of 9-over-par 225. The sophomore from Chilliwack, British Columbia initially shot 77 before improving to 73 and 75 in the last two rounds.
Teammates Reece Nilsen and Colton Murphy finished right behind him in a three-way tie for fifth place with Alec Williams of Westminster College. All three shot 10-over-par 226.
Michael Tait tied for tenth with five other golfers after shooting 13-over-par 229.
Spencer Paladichuk carded all three rounds 79. He finished in 25th having shot 21-over-par 237.
HoeTae Kim finished in 33rd. He shot 26-over-par 242.
The Battlin’ Bears will next compete in the Winona State Invitational on March 12-13 in Las Vegas, Nev.
