Skylights in fourth place at opening golf tournament

The Montana State University-Northern Skylights golf team is back in action after a six-month winter-weather break.

The Skylights are currently in Lewiston, Idaho, for a two-day tournament which wraps up today. The Lewis-Clark State Invitational is being played at the "very long and challenging Lewiston Country Club," Skylights head coach Chris Handley said.

The Skylights are in fourth place out of nine teams. Rocky Mountain College is in first place, followed by Lewis-Clark College, Montana-Western and Northern. Rocky leads with a 36-hole score of 727 at 151 strokes over par. Northern shot a first-round 419 and a second-round 394 for a combined 813, which is 237 strokes over par.

Northern's Toni Bickford and Lewis-Clark's Caroline Bradley are tied for first place. Bickford had a round-one score of 93 and a round-two score of 87 for a 36-hole score of 180. Bradley's first-round score was 87 and her second-round score was 93, also for a 180 total. Both golfers are 36 strokes over par.

Rocky's Sarah Hamilton is in third with a 181 combined score at 37 over par with Lewis-Clark's Leslie Hodge in third with a 182 for 38 over par. Three golfers are tied for fifth place with a 183 at 39 strokes over par.

Northern's Kaycee Link is in 19th place with a two-round score of 199 for 55 over par. Link shot a 101 in the first round and a 98 in the second round. Also for the Skylights, Theresa Newman and Ristina Johnston are tied for 23rd place. Newman shot a 115 in round one and a 102 in round two, with Johnston shooting a 110 and a 107 for a combined score of 217 for a 73 over par.