With improved performances by three of the team's top four golfers in the second round of the day, coupled with a hole-in-one in the first round, Seattle University shot its best round of the 2010-11 season to finish Monday in eighth place at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, hosted by the University of Hawaii at the Kane'ohe Kilpper Golf Course.
After an opening round 79 (+7), Shannon Quinn (Shoreline, Wash.) posted a team-best 71 (-1) in the second round to move up 36 places into a tie for 11th place in the individual standings at 150 (+6). Christine Cook (Yakima, Wash.) needed three less shots to complete the course in the second round, posting scores of 78 (+6) and 75 (+3) for a 36-hole total of 153 (+9), good enough for a tie for 26th place.
In the first round, sophomore Lori Pearson (Seattle, Wash.) needed just one shot on the 170-yard, par-3 fourth hole, using the hole-in-one as part of an opening-round 77 (+5). She slipped a little in the second round, shooting 81 (+9) to finish the day in a tie for 55th place with a two-round total of 158 (+14).
Caitlin McCleary (The Dalles, Ore.) followed an opening-round 82 (+10) with a 78 (+6) in the second round to finish the day in a tie for 66th place with a cumulative score of 160 (+16). Nicole Gaddie (Salt Lake City, Utah) posted scores of 79 (+7) and 86 (+14) in the two rounds to end the day with a total score of 165 (+21) to put herself in a tie for 84th place.
As a team, Seattle University shot 313 (+25) in the first round to place in a tie for eighth place, then took control of solo eighth place with a season-low round score of 305 (+17) on the second circuit of the course. At 618 (+42) after two rounds, the Redhawks are ahead of Pac-10 school Washington State, WAC members Idaho, Fresno State, and Boise State, Wyoming from the Mountain West Conference, and WCC school Gonzaga, among others.
Arizona State leads the team competition after shooting 293 (+5) in each round for a two-round total of 586 (+10), five strokes ahead of Notre Dame. The Sun Devils' Carlota Ciganda stands atop the individual standings after 36 holes at 142 (-2), just one stroke ahead of Alejandra Llaneza of Arizona.
Seattle University will look to maintain its positive play in the third and final round of the tournament, which begins Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. local time with a shotgun start.
