PALAVIVATANA GUIDES WOMEN'S GOLF TO THIRD PLACE IN FIRST DAY OF COWGIRL CLASSIC

4/9/2012

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Freshman Sagee Palavivatana shot a career low 71 to lead the Sacramento State women's golf team in the first round of the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic on Monday at Ocotillo Golf Resort. The second round of the three round tournament will take place on Tuesday.

Palavivatana finished the first round at 1-under par and the Hornets shot 294 (5-over) as a team. That total puts Sacramento State in third place behind Iowa (289) and Colorado State (292). The Hornets had the best score among the eight Big Sky Conference schools in the field. Defending conference champion Portland State is ninth at 303.

The Big Sky Championships will also take place at Ocotillo beginning on April 23.

Palavivatana is in fifth place after beating her previous best by two strokes. The Center High School graduate began her round by playing her first six holes at 2-under with the help of birdies on the par-5 11th and par-3 12th. A bogey on the par-3 16th was followed by five more pars before she returned to 2-under with a birdie on the par-3 4th. Palavivatana played her final five holes at 1-over with four pars and bogey.

Hall, a freshman from Austin, Texas, had a quick start to her round, birdying the par-4 10th to start and later adding birdies on the Nos. 13 and 14 to stand at 3-under through seven holes. Consecutive bogeys on 17 and 18 left her at 1-under at the turn and she remained there with the help of six straight bars on the front nine. Bogeys on the par-3 7th and the par-4 8th returned her to the black. Her score ties her for ninth place and is the third lowest of her career.

Senior Julie Shutler is tied for 14th place after shooting 74. Shutler shot 37 on both sides of the course and finished her round with two birdies, 12 pars and four bogeys.

Kercia Brakel and Samantha Stockton each shot 76 and are tied for 37th place. Brakel had a pair of double bogeys and a bogey on her first nine holes and made the turn at 5-over (41). She immediately bounced back with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2. After two pars, she bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5 before ending her round with two pars and a birdie on the par-4 9th.

Stockton shot 38 on the front and back. Her round included two birdies, 10 pars and six bogeys.

Kristi Cardwell of Iowa and Brianna Espinoza of Colorado State each shot 4-under (68) to share the individual lead. Wichiata State's Daniela Rugeles is third at 69 and is followed by Christine Cash of Xavier (70).

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Iowa 289
2. Colorado State 292
3. SACRAMENTO STATE 294
4. Nevada 295
T5. Seattle 298
T5. Xavier 298
7. Southern Utah 300
8. Portland State 303
10. Wichita State 304
T11. Boise State 305
T11. New Mexico State 305
13. Northern Colorado 306
T14. Northern Arizona 309
T14. Wyoming 309
16. Montana 310
17. Santa Clara 311
18. Montana State 312
19. Weber State 313
T20. UC Riverside 317
T20. South Dakota State 317
22. Eastern Washington 320
23. Utah Valley 326
24. Creighton 343

INDIVIDUAL TOP FIVE
T1. Kristi Cardwell, Iowa, 68
T1. Brianna Espinoza, CSU, 68
3. Daniela Rugeles, WSU, 69
4. Christine Cash, XAV, 70
5. Sagee Palavivatana, SAC, 71

SACRAMENTO STATE SCORES
1. Sagee Palavivatana 71
T9. Lexie Hall 73
T14. Julie Shutler 74
T37. Kercia Brakel 76
T37. Samantha Stockton 76