Griz shoot best round of spring season

Tuesday, April 7

Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club; Maricopa, Ariz.

Montana

Wyoming Cowgirl Classic

Montana plays during the Sun Mountain Intercollegiate at the Ranch Club in Missoula on Tuesday, October. 7, 2025.

Photo by: Ryan Brennecke / University of Montana

4/8/2026 4:40:00 PM | Golf

Results

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana women's golf team closed the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic with a round of 302 on Wednesday as the tournament concluded at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club in Maricopa, Ariz.

It was the Grizzlies' best round of the spring season and best round since carding a 295 in September in the second round at the Kalispel Invitational in Spokane.

"Everyone scrambled well today," said coach Jimmy Mee. "It wasn't easy but they did a good job of staying in it. Great to see us get some momentum going into a course (next week) they really like."

Montana (312-308-302) finished 18th in the 20-team field.

The tournament was won by No. 22 Iowa State (277-286-275), which finished 26-under. Big Sky favorite Sacramento State (292-288-281) and BYU (285-291-285) tied for second at 3-under.

Raina Ports (74-78-74) and Kate Bogenschutz (76-75-75) tied for 63rd in the 116-golfer field.

Ports started her final round 4-over through five holes, then played the last 13 holes at 2-under, with four birdies over a stretch of 10 holes.

"She never got out of it, never got too down," said Mee. "Even when she was struggling at the start, it was just a putt here or there that should have been made.

"She knew she was hitting it well and continued to give herself so many good looks."

Bogenschutz didn't have anything worse than bogey over 54 holes this week and has now gone 74, 73, 76, 75 and 75 over her last five rounds to lower her 2025-26 average to 78.39.

"It's fun to watch her right now," said Mee. "She's starting to get more comfortable being a little more aggressive and that's good because she hits it a long way.

"She had a couple bogeys today when she got into trouble by going for a par-5 in two. It's fun to see her willing to take that on.

"That will bode well for her in upcoming tournaments, where the par-5s are not near as guarded as they were out here."

Bella Johnson (79-76-77), who matched Ports for the team lead with seven birdies over 54 holes, tied for 85th, while Hannah Ports (84-79-80) and Katie Lewis (83-84-76) tied for 105th.

Iowa State's Nichakorn Pinprayoon (65-69-65) won the tournament at 17-under. She was three strokes better than Arizona State's Kate Dillon (68-67-67).

Montana will compete next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the Bobcat Desert Classic at the Golf Club of Estrella in Goodyear, Ariz.

That will be Montana's final tournament before the Big Sky Conference Championship, which will be held at Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz., from April 20-22.

"Estrella is generous off the tee and you can make a lot of putts there," said Mee. "It's a good way to go into conference with hopefully some good feelings and keep building on the momentum."