'Digger golf tourney wide open

By Hudson Willse of The Montana Standard

After 36 holes of the Montana Tech Invitational Golf Tournament at Butte Country Club, the men's championship is up for grabs.

Host Montana Tech, seeking its first tournament win in the sixth year of Frontier Conference golf, trails Lewis-Clark State College of Lewiston, Idaho, by three strokes entering Tuesday's final 18-hole round, scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

Third-place Rocky Mountain College is nine shots behind the Warriors, who have won two straight Frontier Conference titles.

The University of Montana-Western, which won its first tournament ever here last fall, is 21 shots back at 587.

The Bulldogs, however, are without graduated 2002 Montana Tech Invitational individual champion Brandon Davison, who, Sunday, added the Gallatin Valley Open title to the Montana State Men's Amateur championship he won in July.

Montana Tech senior Jason Williams captured medalist honors Monday with a first-round 65, followed by a two-under 68.

The women's title appears to be safely in the hands of defending tournament titlist and five-time Frontier Conference champion Rocky Mountain.

The Bears, who got 154 scores from Ashley Griffith and Emily Jewett, plus a hole-in-one by Katie Truscott, lead second-place Westminster (Utah) College by a whopping 67 strokes.

South African Ilka Loubser, a sophomore at Lewis-Clark, who gained NAIA All-America honors last year by placing among the top 15 in the national tournament, tops the women's individual list with a five-over-par 147.

Loubser carded a 73 in the first round, followed by a 74, and stands seven strokes ahead of runners-up Jewett and Griffith, who placed second in the tournament behind graduated teammate Sara Hamilton last year.

Rocky's Truscott, a sophomore from Glasgow, sank her ace on the 146-yard 17th hole, using a 5-iron.

She was playing in a twosome with Westminster's Jill Riddell, but others witnessed the hole-in-one, Truscott's second in a month, the other coming a Lake Hills Golf Course in Billings.

"It was pretty cool. I can't believe it," said Truscott. "I actually birdied that hole on the first 18, so I thought I'd get a bird."

Williams, seven-under-par with his 133, is two shots ahead of Lewis-Clark's Jeff Smith, five shots up on UM-Western's Jon Allen and six strokes in front of Westminster's Ben Painter.

"It was definitely damage control," said Williams, a metallurgical engineering major from Pocatello, Idaho.

"I got away with some bad shots out there. I hit two of the most ugly shots I've ever shot in my life."

Still, the 133 was Williams' personal-best score for 36 holes, and the 65 was his lowest round ever at Butte Country Club.

"I putted really well," noted Williams, who won the men's championship at the NAIA Regional Tournament in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, two years ago, after closing with an eight-under-par 64, capped by a seven-under effort on the final seven holes.

Williams' brother Tyler also golfs for the Orediggers.

They are just two of a host of brothers and sisters entered in the tournament, including the Griffith sisters of Rocky Mountain College — Amber, Ashley and Andrea.

Tech freshman Jon Johnstone is the brother of Miles Community College sophomore Jason Johnstone. They're from Havre.

And Truscott's brother Ryan is a member of Rocky Mountain men's team.

Monday's results:

MEN

Team scores — Lewis-Clark State 287-279 — 566, Montana Tech 283-286 — 569, Rocky Mountain 285-290 — 575, UM-Western 289-298 587, Westminster 294-295 — 589, Miles Community 297-300 — 597, Carroll 302-307 — 609.

Top 10 Individuals

Jason Williams, Montana Tech 65-68 — 133

Jeff Smith, Lewis-Clark 69-66 — 135

Jon Allen, UM-Western 70-68 — 138

Ben Painter, Westminster 72-67 — 139

Patrick Stump, Montana Tech 71-70 — 141

Nathan Bailey, Rocky Mountain 69-72 — 141

Ryan Linnell, Rocky Mountain 68-73 — 141

Marc Vedder, Lewis-Clark 72-70 — 142

Ryan Truscott, Rocky Mountain 69-73 — 142

Jason Johnstone, Miles Community 70-72 — 142

Team Standings

(Low four scores count)

Lewis-Clark State (287-279 — 566) — Jeff Smith 69-66 135, Marc Vedder 72-70 142, Chris Jerome 73-71 — 144, Derek Williams 73-72 — 145, Jon Warren 76-79 —155.

Montana Tech (283-286 — 569) — Jason Williams 65-68 — 133, Patrick Stump 71-70 — 141, Tyler Williams 71-73 — 144, Jon Johnstone 79-75 — 154, Scott Marsh 76-85 — 161.

Rocky Mountain (285-290 — 575) — Nathan Bailey 69-72 — 141, Ryan Truscott 69-73 — 142, Broc Criswell 71-75 — 146, Jarad Atkins 78-70 — 148, Sean Bowling 76-76 — 152.

UM-Western (289-298 — 587) — Jon Allen 70-68 — 138, Josh Peterson 69-75 — 144, Josh Schad 75-74 — 149, Lance Bosen 75-81 — 156, Phil Thompson 78-83 — 161.

Westminster (294-295 — 589) — Ben Painter 72-67 — 139, Eric Hurd 72-78 — 150, Ryan Davis 76-75 — 151, Jesse Lind 74-80 — 154, Alex Sheldon 79-75 — 154.

Miles Community (297-300 — 597) — Jason Johnstone 70-72 — 142, Cassidy Degele 76-72 — 148, Russell Golden 75-78 — 153, Mitch Wilbert 76-78 — 154, Brendan Paull 79-80 — 159.

Carroll (302-307 — 609) — John Neilson 75-74 — 149, Rick Fazsey 76-75 — 151, Jason Beffert 76-77 — 153, Brian Larson 75-82 — 157, Ryan Buls 80-81 — 161.

Extras

Montana Tech — Jeff Wood 76-72 — 148, Josh Chebul 80-78 — 158, Craig Revier 79-80 — 159, Marcus Winnings 79-85 — 164, Brent Trinier 81-86 — 167.

Rocky Mountain — Ryan Linnell 68-73 — 141, Victor Meyers 74-77 — 151, Akku Acharya 75-81 — 156.

UM-Western — Travis Cotton 81-72 — 153, Seth Kuhl 84-79 — 163, Dallas Schedel 84-81 — 165, Erik Butts 89-86 — 175.

Miles Community — Mark Slade 81-75 — 156, Brandon Styer 82-81 — 163, Jesse Jens 86-89 — 175, Sean Revill 93-86 — 179.

Carroll — Kolter Knutson 84-79 — 163, John Weaver 88-82 — 170.

WOMEN

Team scores — Rocky Mountain 319-315 — 634, Westminster 352-349 — 701, Lewis-Clark State 361-357 — 718, UM-Western 387-371 — 758, Montana Tech 385-384 — 769, MSU-Northern 412-408 — 820.

Top Ten Individuals

Ilka Loubser, Lewis-Clark 73-74 — 147

Ashley Griffith, Rocky Mountain 75-79 — 154

Emily Jewett, Rocky Mountain 78-76 — 154

Amber Griffith, Rocky Mountain 81-79 — 160

Echo Thatcher, Westminster 79-81 — 160

Abbie Poll, Rocky Mountain 85-81 — 166

Christina Berniki, Lewis-Clark 85-85 — 170

Krista Solem, Lewis-Clark 81-90 — 171

Katie Truscott, Rocky Mountain 89-85 — 174

Rachel Miranda, Westminster 86-90 — 176

Shauna Elliott, Rocky Mountain 92-85 — 177

Team Standings

(Low four scores count)

Rocky Mountain (319-315 — 634) — Ashley Griffith 75-79 — 154, Emily Jewett 78-76 — 154, Amber Griffith 81-79 — 160, Abbie Poll 85-81 — 166, Katie Truscott 89-85 — 174.

Westminster (352-349 — 701) — Echo Thatcher 79-81 160, Rachel Miranda 86-90 — 176, Lindsay Beckstead 94-85 — 179, Rachel Parrish 93-95 — 188, Jill Riddell 98-93 — 191.

Lewis-Clark State (361-357 — 718) — Ilka Loubser 73-74 — 147, Christina Berniki 85-85 — 170, Krista Solem 81-90 — 171, Angela Silver 122-108 — 230.

UM-Western (387-371 — 758) — Katie Blades 92-88 — 180, Katie Wilson 92-91 — 183, Allie Bethel 101-94 — 195, Kacee Tash 102-98 — 200.

Montana Tech (385-384 — 769) — Victoria Kazmierczak 91-94 — 185, Miranda Sundsted 95-91 — 186, Liz McCloskey 93-95 — 188, Amber Jenkins 100-104 — 210, Brooke Konen 106-106 — 212.

MSU-Northern — (412-408 — 820) — Chastity Wagner 92-88 — 180, Alyssa Ragsdale 104-95 — 199, Heather Riener 102-101 — 203, Lorrie Keller 114-124 — 238.

Carroll (incomplete team) — Andrea Tucker 91-90 — 181, Autumn Clausen 106-108 — 214.

Extras

Rocky Mountain — Shauna Elliott 92-85 — 177, Caitlin Finnicum 92-90 — 182, Andrea Griffith 93-96 — 189.