Montana
Cal Poly Match Play Challenge
Grizzly golfers rally onto second spring podium
3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Golf
March 25, 2011
Led by Grizzlies Ashli Helstrom and Carissa Simmons, who tied for fourth place overall, the Grizzly women's golf team overcame a 13-stroke first day deficit to come within two strokes of Big Sky team Sacramento State following Friday's final at the Lamkin Grip Match Play Challenge. Though Montana ultimately finished third in the two-day, nine-team event, the Grizzlies enjoyed a nine stroke improvement upon their team score from their first to second round at Cypress Ridge Golf Course in Arroyo Grande, Calif.
The Grizzlies earned their second team podium in three tournaments Friday. Simmons took her fourth top-10 result of the year and her second top-five finish. Helstrom, logged her first top-five finish of the season.
Of the Grizzlies' near catch of the Hornet's in Friday's final, Simmons said, "(Coach) Joanne (Steele) told us at the beginning of today's round that a comeback was not out of the question. She reminded us that we needed to finish out and that we have improved from round-to-round in nearly all of our tournaments.
"Today was a just another shot at the same course for us. There were a lot of people that left a lot of shots behind on certain holes. Our team really took it down today, with evry individual doing everything that they could."
After leading the event with a round of 308 Thursday, the Hornets took a round of 323 Friday to Montana's 312.
Following play Friday, Helstrom said, "I would say the way that I played personally on Thursday would have gotten me an 80 if it had been a week ago. I have been trying to take the bad holes and play them a single shot at a time. In the past I would have let them overwhelm me to a greater degree.
"The entire team knew today that we had not played our best yesterday. Closing that gap to Sac (State) was on all of our minds this morning."
The Grizzlies enjoyed a pre-conference preview of a beatable Hornet squad that was unique this season. In past years, Sacramento State has been somewhat of a dark horse come the Big Sky Championship Tournament, avoiding other league teams through regular season play.
Host team Cal Poly took the top podium spot Friday, just nine strokes ahead of Montana. Mustang Alex Phillips tied for the tournament championship with Samantha Scaffold of Sacramento State at 153, just two strokes ahead of the Grizzly pair of Helstrom and Simmons.
Other UM team results included Olivia Weber, with a total of 161, Lauren Howell at 162 and Rose Stepanek at 169.
