Ryan Divish
Havre Daily News Sports Editor
rdivish@havredailynews.com
The Montana State University-Northern golf team wrapped up the fall portion of its schedule on Tuesday at the two-day Rocky Mountain College Invitational held at Peter Yegen Golf Club in Billings.
The Skylights finished fifth out of six teams, with a two-day team score of 1,093.
NAIA national tournament qualifier Rocky Mountain College scored 943 on its home course to edge Lewis-Clark State, which was second with a 221.
Individually, Northern was led by Julie Wagner, who just missed out on a top-10 finish with a two-day total of 260.
Wagner's total was six strokes out of the top 10 and was her best showing of the season. She opened the tournament on Monday with back-to-back rounds of 86 and 85. She fired an 89 on the second day.
Teammate Anita Strommen also had a solid tourney with a 273.
Strommen's best round was her first with an 88. She followed that up with rounds of 92 and 93.
Chastity Wagner looked solid in her first meet of the season with rounds of 92, 90 and 94 for a 276, while Heather Riener rounded out the Skylights' scoring with rounds of 96, 93 and 93 for a 282.
In the men's division, Havre's Jason Johnstone finished third with scores of 75, 67 and 67 for a two-day total of 209 for Montana Tech. He finished six strokes off the lead. Brother, Jon Johnstone, who also plays for Tech, shot rounds of 78, 73 and 68 for a 219, which was just out of the top 10.
Trent Normandy, who plays for Miles Community College, had rounds of 76-80-74 for a 230.
The Frontier Conference golf schedule will resume in the spring with tournaments in Lewiston, Idaho and Salt Lake City, along with the regional tournament in Moscow, Idaho.
Rocky Mountain College Invitational
MEN
Team scores
Lewis-Clark State 282-283-279 - 844; Montana Tech 290-283-282 - 855; MSU-Billings 293-286-290 - 869; Rocky Mountain College 295-285-285 - 865; Westminster College 300-294-298 - 892; Rocky Mountain College JV 299-299-300 - 898; Miles Community College 308-208-306 - 922; UM-Western 317-307-302 - 926; MSU-Billings JV 323-304-299 - 926; Carroll College 322-309-311 - 942; University of Great Falls 321-322-328 - 981.
Top 10
Jared Atkins, Rocky Mountain College, 70-66-67 - 203; Nic Larson, MSU-Billings, 70-66-69 - 205; Jason Johnstone, Montana Tech, 75-67-67 - 209; Jeff Thoeny, L-C State, 68-71-70 - 209; Shawn Krahling, L-C State, 70-70-70 - 210; Mark Vedder, L-C State, 72-71-68 - 211; Zack Abels, MSU-Billings, 68-71-71 - 212; Kelbi Lee, Rocky Mountain College, 73-73-687 - 214; David Nuhn, L-C State, 72-71-71 - 214.
Other local finishers: Trent Normandy, Miles Community College 76-80-74 - 230; Jon Johnstone, Montana Tech 78-73-68 - 219
WOMEN
Team scores
Rocky Mountain College 943; Lewis-Clark State 969; UM-Western 1,046; MSU-Billings 1,053; MSU-Northern 1,093; MSU-Billings JV 1,147.
Top 10
Rachel Warren, Rocky Mountain College, 74-74-73 - 221; Carlie Breen, Rocky Mountain College, 77-77-81 - 235; Nikki Olson, L-C State, 81-79-160 - 75; Halley Montalban, MSU-Billings, 83-76-79 - 238; Kelsey Phillips, Rocky Mountain College, 80-80-80 - 240; Samara Kluever, L-C State, 78-84-79 - 241; Katie Truscott, Rocky Mountain College, 247; Nicole Fisher, L-C State, 83-86-79 - 248; Chantelle Beveridge, L-C State, 86-82-80 - 248; April Schauer, Carroll, 88-83-83 - 254.
MSU-Northern - Julie Wagner 86-85-89 - 260; Anita Strommen 88-92-93 - 273; Chastity Wagner 92-90-94 - 276; Heather Riener 96-93-93 - 282.
