WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Sophomores Catelyn Webber and Katie Zajicek shot matching 79s on Sunday as Whitman College held tight to second place as the Northwest Conference Fall Classic ended its two-day run at Heron Lakes in Portland, Ore.

Whitman, which trailed George Fox by seven shots after Saturday's first round, lowered its team score by two strokes on Sunday, carding a 318 to finish with a 36-hole total 638.

Catelyn Webber

Meanwhile, George Fox dropped its Sunday score by a single stroke, shooting 312 in the closing round to win the tournament with a two-day total of 625.

Other teams in the tourney had trouble keeping pace with the top two.

Willamette shot 329 on Sunday to take third place with a 671, finishing eight strokes in front of Linfield and 10 shots clear of Whitworth.

Pacific Lutheran, Pacific, Puget Sound and Lewis & Clark rounded out the field.

The Fall Classic counts for 25 percent of the year-long scoring used to determine the final conference standings.

By placing second this weekend, a resurgent Whitman team is off to a much start than a year ago when it was fifth at the same tournament. The Missionaries then rallied at the two spring tournaments to finish second overall.

Tate Head

Whitman junior Tate Head, who shot a career-best 75 on Saturday, posted 80 on Sunday to take third in the individual scoring with a 155 total. Head finished in a fifth-place at the same tournament two years ago.

Two George Fox players, Megan McGrew and Kelsey Morrison, were first and second in this weekend's individual scoring, posting 36-hole scores of 150 and 152, respectively.

Junior Elaine Whaley elevated her game in a big way on Sunday, completing Whitman's team score with an 80 that was 11 shots better than her Saturday score.

First-year Missionary Sarah Debs, after shooting 83 on Saturday, finished with an 81 on Sunday.

With rounds of 80 and 79 and a 159 total, Zajicek tied for fifth in the final individual standings. She also placed fifth at last year's tournament.

Webber (82-79 161) tied for eighth while Debs finished just outside the Top 10 in 12th place.

The tournament was held on the Green Back Course (5,813 yards) at Heron Lakes.

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CONTACT: Dave Holden
Sports Information Director
Whitman College, Walla Walla, Wash.
509 527-5902; holden@whitman.edu