Oct. 11, 2005
Complete Results
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University's Katja Trygg (Sr., Bainbridge Island) took medalist honors for the third straight year and the nationally ranked Vikings placed first for the fourth consecutive time at the 4th annual WWU Women's Golf Invitational which ended Tuesday at the Bellingham Golf and Country Club.
It was the third win in as many outings this season for Western, No.3 in the latest Golfstat/NCAA Division II national ratings. Earlier the Vikings had taken team titles at the Northeastern State (Okla.) and Grand Canyon tourneys.
Western shot a final-round 302, the best round of the tournament, to finish with a 54-hole total of 916. That was 53 strokes better than runner-up and nationally No.12-rated Western New Mexico (323=969). Placing third in the nine-team tourney was Chico State (324=975).
"Our goal was to beat yesterday's afternoon round (305) and we did that," said Western coach Bo Stephan.
The medalist title was the seventh in Trygg's four-year career. Trygg, a 2004-05 first-team All-American who entered the tourney ranked No.2 nationally with a 72.5 scoring average, fired a 2-under par 71 to top the field at 3-under 216. She also shot 71 in the first round, posting the only two under-par rounds of the tournament.
"She's definitely one of the top five individual players in the country at our level," Stephan said. "She's got to have a stroke average now that's close to under par."
Western's Catherine Kim (So., Bellevue/Skyline) placed second, 11 strokes back, at 227, finishing with an even par 73 as the Vikings placed three other players in the top 10. Candice Wagner (Sr., Milton/Fife) tied for sixth at 238 (78) and Katie Bender (Jr., Tacoma/Bellarmine Prep) (80) and Jennifer Noland (So., Kennewick/Southridge) (77), playing as an individual, tied for 10th at 242.
"Kim is impressing a lot of people," said Stephan. "She grinds as hard as she can on every shot, which most people can't do."
Western's Allison Gillette (So., Seattle/Ballard) tied for 12th at 243 (87).
Three other Vikings competing as individuals were Nancy Swope (So., Port Angeles/Peninsula), who tied for 19th at 250, Tori Klettke (Fr., Vancouver/Prairie), who tied for 22nd at 251 (83) and Ashley Williams (So., Camas), who was 32nd at 263 (88).
Western's three wins to open the season is the best start in school history. At Grand Canyon, the Vikings shot a 1-under par 287 in the final round, breaking the school record by 11 strokes with the first under par round in school history.
"After Northeastern State, we talked as a team and made a decision that we wanted to try to win all four fall events," Stephan said. "And they are doing a great job of forgetting the last tournament and focusing on the next one."
It was the second medalist honor this fall for Trygg, who took top honors at the Grand Canyon tourney after placing second at the Northeastern State event.
Western may schedule a dual meet with Saint Martin's University before ending the fall portion of its schedule at the Cal State Monterey Bay Invitational on Oct. 24-25.
