WOMEN'S GOLF SETS SINGLE ROUND RECORD, HOLDS LEAD AT COWGIRL CLASSIC

MARICOPA, Ariz. — Behind a record-breaking first round, the Sacramento State women's golf team jumped to an early lead during the first round of the Wyoming Cowgirl Classic on Monday at Ak-Chin Southern Dunes Golf Club. The Hornets shot 279 in the opening round and followed with a score of 287 in the second round. The team's two-round total of 566 leaves the team 14 strokes ahead of the next closest team headed into the final round on Tuesday.

The 279 placed the team 9-under par during the morning and broke the school record. Sacramento State's previous low of 283 came in the Rainbow Wahine Invitational and the Big Sky Championship in 2016. The Hornets counted a 68 from Corinne Viden, 70s from Astha Madan and Julia Becker and a 71 from Sofie Babic to get to the score. Sacramento State had just five bogeys in those four rounds and finished with 14 birdies.

Viden's 68 is tied for the second lowest all time by a Hornet woman. She started with a birdie on the
par-5 13th hole but returned to even after a bogey on the par-4 first. From there, she birdied four consecutive holes and eventually dropped to 5-under with a birdie on the par-4 eighth. After two pars, the freshman bogeyed the par-3 11th and ended her round with a par on No. 12. Her total of 68 trails only Nishtha Madan's school record of 67 which came during the fall and Viden is now tied for the lowest score by a Hornet freshman in program history.

Astha Madan opened play with four pars before her lone bogey came on the par-4 18th. She stayed at 1-over after nine consecutive pars on the front side of the course but made her charge late in the round. The senior birdied the par-4 10th, the par-3 11th and the par-5 13th to finish at 2-under par.

Becker matched that score and also had three birdies and just one bogey. She birdied her first hole, the par-4 15th, and followed with a bogey on the par-5 16th. The junior parred her next eight holes before adding birdies on the par-5 fifth and par-3 11th.

The final score towards the team total came from Sofie Babic who shot 71. Babic started with with a bogey on the par-4 15th and then parred her next 13 holes. She returned to even with a birdie on No. 11 and dropped to 1-under with a birdie on the par-5 13th.

The team slowed its pace in the second round but still managed to shoot 287 to finish 1-under par. Sofie Babic led the team at 1-under par and was closely followed by even par rounds from Astha Madan, Julia Becker and Nishtha Madan.

Babic placed birdies on the 16th and 18th hole around a bogey on No. 17 in the early part of her round. She bogeyed the par-4 second to move back to even and remained there until a birdie on the par-4 12th. Overall, she played her final 12 holes at 1-under par.

Astha Madan parrer her first seven holes before a bogey on the par-4 third. Five more pars came before a birdie on the par-4 ninth. A bogey on No. 11 was answered by a birdie on the par-4 13th to leave her even.

Julie Becker led the team with four birdies in the second round but also had four bogeys. The junior was never more than one shot away from even throughout her round and dropped to 1-under for the first time after a birdie on No. 9 (her 13th hole). A bogey on No. 11 jumped her back to even before she ended her round with a birdie on No. 13 and a bogey on No. 14.

Nishtha Madan parred 16 of her 18 holes with the exceptions being a birdie on the par-4 eighth and a bogey on the par-4 12th. That score followed a 74 in the first round.

Viden completed the lineup with a 75 which did not contribute to the team total. She opened with a birdie on the par-5 13th but was 2-over following bogeys on Nos. 15, 18 and 1. Viden gained a stroke back with a birdie on the par-5 third but added two more bogeys in her round.

WYOMING COWGIRL CLASSIC
Maricopa, Ariz. | Ak-Chin Southern Dunes GC
Par 72 | 6131 Yards

TEAM SCORES
1. SACRAMENTO STATE 279-287-566
2. New Mexico State 295-285-580
3. Santa Clara 286-297-583
4. Rutgers 292-294-586
5. UTEP 291-299-590
6. San Francisco 294
7. Boise State 295
8. Cal State Northridge 296-298-594
9. Wyoming 294-302-596
10. Nevada 298-299-597
11. Northern Arizona 295-306-601
12. Southern Utah 303
13. Seattle 290-313-603
14. Sam Houston State 297-307-604
15. Portland State 300-307-607
16. Montana 302-307-609
17. Eastern Washington 300-310-610
18. Montana State 310-301-611
19. Gonzaga 298
20. UT-Arlington 319

INDIVIDUAL TOP FIVE
1. Pun Chanachai, NMSU, 75-65-140
2. Kristin Le, SCU, 69-72-141
T3. ASTHA MADAN, SAC, 70-72-142
T3. SOFIE BABIC, SAC, 71-71-142
T3. JULIA BECKER, SAC, 70-72-142
T3. Lily Downs, UTEP, 70-72-142

SACRAMENTO STATE SCORES
T3. Julia Becker 70-72-142
T3. Sofie Babic 71-71-142
T3. Astha Madan 70-72-142
T7. Corinne Viden 68-75-143
T16. Nishtha Madan 74-72-146