MEN'S GOLF FINISHES THIRD AT BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Sacramento State men's golf team produced its best round of the Big Sky Championship but could not quite erase its deficit in the final round. The Hornets totaled 284 on Wednesday and finished two strokes behind Weber State and one back of Northern Colorado in the final standings.

Jonathan Tanihana and Casey Leebrick led the team with even-par rounds of 70 while Ethan Davidson and Riley Bell each shot 72. Sacramento State trailed by six strokes late in the round but rallied behind 10 birdies over the final six holes to get within striking distance. Weber State, however, answered the challenge playing their final three holes at 1-over par to hold onto the lead.

Bell had the best finish on the team, tying for fourth place and earning his first career top five finish. He parred each of the first nine holes before a bogey on the par-4 10th. Four more pars came before a bogey on the par-4 15th and he ended with a birdie on the par-5 17th and a bogey on No. 18.

Tanihana had matching scores of 35 on both sides of the course. The senior had birdies on Nos. 2 and 7 to go along with bogeys on Nos. 3 and 6 on the front nine. Over the final nine holes, he birdied Nos. 14 and 17 and bogeyed Nos. 11 and 18.

Leebrick was also even midway through his round with a bogey on the par-4 third and a birdie on the par-4 fifth. He first moved under par with a birdie on the par-4 10th but returned to even with a bogey on No. 11. Leebrick surged with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 before a double bogey on the par-3 16th. He bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 17th and concluded the tournament with a bogey on the par-4 18th. Leebrick and Tanihana tied for 11th place with three-round totals of 218.

Davidson had a sluggish start to his round with a bogey on the first and double bogeys on No. 2 and 9. A bogey on the par-4 13th moved him to 6-over before he ran off four straight birdies on Nos. 14-17.

Blaze Akana shot 74 to round out the lineup. Akana had an adventurous front nine comprised of three birdies, two pars, three bogeys and a double bogey to leave him at 2-over. He started the back nine with a bogey and later birdied the par-4 13th. He had three pars and two bogeys over his final five holes. Davidson and Akana each had 54-hole totals of 221 to tie for 19th place.

Weber State's Reese Fisher ran away from the field to become the medalist. Fisher shot 72-64-70-206 to finish six strokes ahead of the closest golfer.

BIG SKY CHAMPIONSHIP
Scottsdale, Ariz. | Talking Stick GC
Par 70 | 7,089 Yards

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Weber State 298-280-286-864
2. Northern Colorado 301-280-284-865
3. SACRAMENTO STATE 294-288-284-866
4. Binghamton 307-280-282-869
5. Idaho 293-287-291-871
6. Southern Utah 296-395-289-880
7. Hartford 298-293-296-887

INDIVIDUAL TOP FIVE
1. Reese Fisher, WSU, 72-64-70-206
T2. Justin Lane, Binghamton, 74-70-68-212
T2. Jose Suryadinata, UI, 71-68-139
T4. Riley Bell, SAC, 74-69-72-215
T4. D.J. Griffiths 79-68-68-215
T4. Anfield Srichun, SUU, 72-74-69-215
T4. Blake Danni, UNC, 76-69-70-215

SACRAMENTO STATE SCORES
T4. Riley Bell 74-69-72-215
T11. Jonathan Tanihana 71-77-70-218
T11. Casey Leebrick 74-74-70-218
T19. Ethan Davidson 75-74-72-221
T19. Blaze Akana 76-71-74-221