Barnett Shoots 78 in 2nd Round to tie for 11th Place at NWC Tournament

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

TACOMA, Wash. -- Willamette University golfer Maddi Barnett (Jr., Boise, ID/Timberline HS) shot a 78 in the second round of the 2017 Northwest Conference Tournament at the Tacoma Country & Golf Club on Saturday, April 23 to tie for 11th place in the final standings. Barnett's 36-hole score was 159, including an 81 in the first round on Saturday.

Barnett tied for 11th with Maggie Peters from Whitworth University, who also shot 159 (78-81). Willamette's Lexi Towner (Fr., Chico, CA/Chico HS) finished in a three-way tie for 23rd at 172. towner shot 83 in the first round and 89 in the second round.

"Maddi shot a season best that is also her personal record (78)," Willamette Head Coach Patrick Daugherty. "Lexi, our freshman, put together two good back-to-back days of golf in the 80s. I'm so proud of both of them."

George Fox University won the team title with a score of 601 (302-299). The Bruins won by 33 strokes. Lewis & Clark College was second at 634 and Whitman College was one stroke behind the Pioneers in third place at 635. Whitworth was fourth at 648, Pacific Lutheran University placed fifth at 664, University of Puget Sound took sixth at 716, Pacific University was seventh at 721, and Linfield College was eighth at 743. Willamette did not field a complete team.

GFU claimed the overall NWC Championship based on team placings at the NWC Fall Classic, NWC Spring Classic, and NWC Tournament. Whitman was second, with Lewis & Clark in third and Whitworth in fourth.

The individual title in the NWC Tournament was earned by Rachel Drgastin of George Fox, who shot 149, with a 78 in the first round and a tournament-low 1-under-par 71 on Sunday. Kristin Elich, also from GFU, was second at 150 (74-76). Syndey Maluenda of GFU was third at 152 (75-77).

Two additional golfers for the Bruins, Irsia Kawada and Madison Perry, tied for fourth place at 153. Kwawa shot 75-78 and Peerry shot 78-75.

Shiyang Fan of Whitman took sixth place at 154 on an 81 in the first round, followed by a 1-over-par 73 on Sunday.

Annie McCutchan of L&C and Lou Points from Whitman tied for seventh place. Each shot 157, with McCutchan carding 76-81 and Points recording 80-77.

Two golfers shot 158 to tie for ninth place at 158. They were Claire Burke of Lewis & Clark and Phoebe Nguyen from Whitman. Both shot back-to-back rounds of 79.

All-NWC selections were based on performances at the NWC Fall Classic, NWC Spring Classic and NWC Tournament. First Team All-NWC honors went to George Fox golfers Elich, Maluenda, Drgastin, Kawada and Perry, along with Fan from Whitman.