Viking golfers have winning summer

The Portland State Vikings golf team sat in second place after the first 18 holes of competition in the Northwest Invitational at Sunriver Woodlands Course Monday, Sept. 15. Sophomores Danielle Reilly and Sarah Tiller held first and second places after 18 holes of the 54-hole event.

Reilly, a transfer from Memphis who was the Conference USA Freshman of the Year last season, shot a 2-under 70, which tied for the third-best round ever shot by a PSU golfer. Tiller shot a 1-under 71, the fifth-best round ever by a Viking.

The Vikings totaled 298 strokes and held second place by ending the round three shots behind UNLV, whose top four golfers totaled 295. The next closest team, Texas Christian, was nine shots behind the Vikings at 307. The Northwest Invitational was scheduled to wrap up with a single 18-hole round Tuesday.

Former Viking golfers, and their coach, have had a busy summer. Tiller, and head gold coach Felicia Johnston, both competed in the USGA Public Links Championship in Palm Coast, Fla. in June. The two didn퀌_t make the 64-player cut after 36 holes. After tying for 84th by shooting a pair of 81s, Johnston turned it up the second day, shooting a 79 to end up in 76th place, and Tiller shot an 85 and ended up in 103rd.

Former Viking golfers Taya Battistella and Bobbie Dunn, both of whom graduated last year, made some noise in the Oregon Amateur Golf Championships around the same time in June. Battistella was eliminated after making it to the quarterfinal round (the final four), and Dunn was eliminated in the round of 16. Former Viking coach and player Brain Hughes, who helped PSU win the Big Sky Championship in 1998-1999 and was coaching the team after graduating, won the men퀌_s side of the Oregon Amateur Championship, and took the OGA Mid-Amateur and Public Links titles, as well, to total three championships this summer. Dunn won the women퀌_s side of the OGA Public Links in July.