April 20, 2016
Final Results | Final PDF Results
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. -- The San Diego State women's golf team fell short in its quest for a second straight conference title on Wednesday after finishing second at the 2016 Mountain West Championship on the par-72, 6,291-yard Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club.
Despite posting the lowest score of any team in the three-day event with a 2-under-par 286, the Aztecs managed to climb just one spot in the standings, completing the championship with a 54-hole total of 24-over 886.
UNLV (+13) took the ceremonial plunge into Poppie's Pond this year after carding an even-par 288 during the final round to win by nine strokes, while Fresno State (+33) slipped into third behind SDSU, followed by San José State (+42) and New Mexico (+50).
For the second straight season and just the third time since the league's inception, the Aztecs had two players finish among the top five individually at the MW Championship. Sophomore Mila Chaves (Asuncion, Paraguay) climbed into the third spot at 2-over 218, while junior Sirene Blair (South Jordan, Utah) vaulted into the fifth position with a combined 5-over 221 after each fired a 69 on Wednesday.
Chaves was one of just two golfers, along with UNLV's Mackenzie Raim, to complete the final round without a blemish on her scorecard, notching 15 pars and three birdies to jump four places on the leaderboard en route to her second-lowest 18-hole tally of the season.
Blair, meanwhile, sank a team-leading six birdies, including three straight on holes 7-9, to catapult 10 places from the previous round. Despite two bogeys on the back nine, the Utah native still managed her highest finish in three MW Championship appearances.
Not to be outdone, Emma Henrikson (Malmö, Sweden) also displayed upward mobility on Wednesday, jumping eight spots into a tie for seventh at 7-over 223. Along with Chaves and Blair, Henrikson was one of just six golfers in the field of 45 competitors to break par during the final round after shooting a 71. Despite a dearth of birdies on her card, the SDSU senior offset one bogey with the just the second eagle of the tournament on the par-5, 482-yard No. 2.
Conversely, Georgia Lacey (Del Mar, Calif.) was not as fortunate, tumbling 13 places into 16th with a final-round 80, which did not count toward the Aztecs' final team score. The SDSU sophomore, who entered the day in a tie for third, was unable to recover from three bogeys and two doubles on the front nine, ultimately completing the tournament at 11-over 227.
Fellow classmate Haleigh Krause (Eugene, Ore.) was also unable to advance up the ladder, slipping one notch into a tie for 30th at 16-over 233 on the heels of her second straight 77. Despite two birdies before, Krause was plagued by seven bogeys, including a pair on her final two greens.
UNLV's Alexandra Kaui, who was the lone competitor to finish the week in red figures at 4-under 212, captured medalist honors after shooting final-round 69, topping runner-up Katrina Prendergast of Colorado State (+1) by five strokes.
The Aztecs will await word of their postseason fate next week when NCAA regional bids are announced Monday, April 25, on The Golf Channel at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT. This year's regional sites are Stanford, Calif., Bryan, Texas, Baton Rouge, La., and Shoal Creek, Ala.
2016 Mountain West Championship
Final Results
Mission Hills C.C.
Dinah Shore Tournament Course
Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Par 72, 6,291 yards
Team Scores (9 schools)
1. UNLV ... 295-294-288--877 (+13)
3. San Diego State ... 296-304-286--886 (+22)
3. Fresno State ... 297-301-297--897 (+33)
4. San José State ... 305-302-299--906 (+42)
5. New Mexico ... 299-312-303--914 (+50)
6. Colorado State ... 309-305-307--921 (+57)
7. Nevada ... 310-310-305--925 (+61)
8. Boise State ... 312-313-301--926 (+62)
9. Wyoming ... 321-325-307--953 (+89)
Individual Leaders (Top 5 of 45 players + SDSU)
1. Alexandra Kaui, UNLV ... 72-71-69--212 (-4)
2. Katrina Prendergast, Colorado State ... 71-73-73--217 (E)
3. Mila Chaves, SDSU ... 75-74-69--218 (+2)
4. Mackenzie Raim, UNLV ... 73-75-71--219 (+3)
5. Sirene Blair, SDSU ... 75-77-69--221 (+5)
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T7. Emma Henrikson, SDSU ... 75-77-71--223 (+7)
16. Georgia Lacey, SDSU ... 71-76-80--227 (+11)
T30. Haleigh Krause, SDSU ... 79-77-77--233 (+17)