(MSUB Athletics release)
BILLINGS – Each tying for fourth place at the Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket Fall Invitational, junior Garrett Woodin and sophomore Caleb Trost each shot a three-round score of 215 at Lake Hills Golf Club in an event that wrapped up on Tuesday.
The duo were the top performers for host MSUB, which finished in third place among the field of five teams with a three-round score of 882 (292-288-302). “It was a great experience for us to get a tournament right away,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “It gives us something to look at and evaluate, so we can work on getting better as we move into the next 10 days before our first road tournament.”
Concordia University (Ore.) won the tournament with a three-round total of 856 (283-290-283), holding off second-place University of Jamestown by seven strokes. CU’s Jaxson Daskalos was the medalist, putting together a three-round total of 9-under-par 207 (66-71-70). Teammate Riley Killip was just two strokes behind at 209 (69-71-69) to help propel the Cavaliers of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference to the title.
Trost followed a first-round 74 on Monday with a 2-under-par 70 his second time through, and finished the event with another sub-par performance at 71 on Tuesday. The three-round score of 215 is Trost’s personal best, as he topped his previous mark of 216 set during his freshman year at the Western New Mexico University Invitational.
“It was great, because we had a bad spring this year so we didn’t have the season that we wanted,” Trost commented on opening the year with a home event. “After my first round I just wanted to get some shots back, because I dropped a few at the end of it. I was able to get off to a good start in the second round.”
Woodin showed similar consistency, shooting par or better in all three of his rounds. The Billings native followed a 1-under 71 on Monday with back-to-back even-par rounds of 72 to close the tournament. Woodin tied his personal collegiate best for a three-round score, matching a mark he set at the WNMU Invitational in the spring of 2017.
“The thing they both do well is keep the ball in play, and you rarely see a penalty stroke from them,” Woodin commented on the strong performances by his son and Trost. “They eliminate double bogeys and really play consistent golf. They both compete hard, and any time you can place in the top-five in any event, that is a great start to the season.”
In his first tournament as a Yellowjacket, junior transfer Payton Stott wound up in a tie for ninth place as he totaled a three-round score of 220 (72-76-72). Stott sandwiched a 4-over 76 with a pair of par rounds, finishing the day even on Tuesday. “We are very happy to have Payton here, and he is just a good kid and a heck of a golfer,” Woodin said. “I know he is going to get better and better as the year goes on.”
Also scoring for the ‘Jackets at the tournament was sophomore Jayd Dion, who finished in a tie for 21st place with a total of 232. The Riverton, Wyoming, native shot scores of 75 and 70 on Monday, before finishing with an 87 his final time through the course Tuesday.
Logan Martin competed at the event as an individual, and posted three sub-80 rounds with a score of 230 (78-75-77) to finish in a tie for 19th place.
THE BUZZ: Trost was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…14 of the 15 total individual rounds by MSUB players checked in at sub-80.
NEXT UP: The MSUB men are next in action on Sept. 21 at the Saint Martin’s University Invitational in Dupont, Washington. The first two rounds are scheduled for a week from Friday at The Home Course, and the third and final round will follow next Saturday. The ‘Jackets will face a quick turnaround, as they’ll then compete at the Western Washington University Invitational on Sept. 24-25 in Bellingham, Washington, at the Bellingham Country Club.
Meantime, on the women’s course MSUB freshman Tierney Messmer tied for third in her first collegiate tournament.
Messmer carded rounds of 79 Monday and 78 Tuesday, tying with two other players for third place with a two-round total of 157. “My goal was to try to stay under 80 in both rounds,” Messmer commented. “I would have liked to have been a little lower, but I am happy with how it went.”
“It was awesome to have a tournament right away after having our first day of practice last week,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “Tierney had a very consistent tournament, and to get top-five out of 31 golfers is quite an accomplishment.”
The Yellowjackets finished second as a team, with a two-round score of 643 (323-320). Fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference school Concordia University (Ore.) won the event handily, posting a team score of 621wgolfpotg0911 (309-312) over the two-day affair. CU’s Shantel Antonio claimed the individual title with a two-round score of 153 (77-76), and Cammie Decker (154) and Staesha Flock (157) made it a 1-2-3 sweep for the Cavaliers.
Freshman Kinsey Irvin also impressed in her collegiate debut, finishing in a tie for seventh place with a two-round score of 161. Irvin followed a 78 on Monday with an 83 her second time through the course on Tuesday.
“I am really proud of them, as it is much more difficult when you play in college than it is in high school,” Woodin commented on the performance of his freshmen. “The course plays a lot longer, and there are a lot more better players surrounding you. They rose to the occasion, and they feel that they can continue to get better.”
Senior Shealyn Hafer was MSUB’s second-highest finisher, as she took sixth place just one stroke behind Messmer with a 158. After carding an 80 in her first round, Hafer matched Messmer with a team-best 78 on Day 2 of the event to climb the leaderboard.
Sophomore Renae Heisler wound up in 12th place, after displaying improvement between rounds and finishing with a 168. Heisler started off with an 86 on Monday, and played four strokes better in her final round with an 82.
Rounding out the top-five for MSUB was senior Sarah Schroefel, who was the team’s biggest improver between rounds. Schroefel shook off a 91 on Monday, and came back with an 83 Tuesday for a two-round total of 173 to tie for 18th place.
Competing as individuals were sophomores Sydney Rochford and Kylee Knobloch, and freshman Jalen Wagner. Rochford had an impressive showing with a two-round total of 169 (84-85), and finished in 13th place overall. Wagner took 23rd place with a score of 177 (90-87), and Knobloch posted back-to-back rounds of 100 at the event.
THE BUZZ: Messmer was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Rochford’s 169 stands as her collegiate best, as she topped last year’s mark of 170 at the Yellowjacket Spring Invite by a single stroke.
COMING UP: MSUB is next in action Sept. 24-25, at the Western New Mexico University Invitational in Goodyear, Arizona.
WOMEN – Yellowjacket Fall Invitational
Lake Hills Golf Club | Billings, MT
Final Results | Sept. 11, 2018
Team – 1. Concordia University (Ore.), 621 (309-312); 2. MSU Billings, 643 (323-320). Individual – 1. Shantel Antonio, CU, 153 (77-76); T3. Tierney Messmer, MSUB, 157 (79-78); 6. Shealyn Hafer, MSUB, 158 (80-78); T7. Kinsey Irvin, MSUB, 161 (78-83); 12. Renae Heisler, MSUB, 168 (86-82); 13. Sydney Rochford, MSUB (IND), 84-85 (169); T18. Sarah Schroefel, MSUB, 173 (91-82); 23. Jalen Wagner, MSUB (IND), 177 (90-87); 31. Kylee Knobloch, MSUB, 200 (100-100).
MEN – Yellowjacket Fall Invitational
Lake Hills Golf Course | Billings, MT
Final Results | Sept. 11, 2018
Team – 1. Concordia (Ore.), 856 (283-290-283); 3. MSU Billings, 882 (292-288-302). Individual – 1. Jaxson Daskalos, CU, 207 (66-71-70); T4. Garrett Woodin, MSUB, 215 (71-72-72); T4. Caleb Trost, MSUB, 215 (74-70-71); T9. Payton Stott, MSUB, 220 (72-76-72); T19. Logan Martin, MSUB, 230 (78-75-77); T21. Jayd Dion, MSUB, 232 (75-70-87).
