Wednesday, April 20
Rancho Mirage, Calif.
All Day
Boise State
vs
Mission Hills GC
Broncos Make History at Mountain West Championships
4/20/2022 5:40:00 PM | Women's Golf
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – The Boise State women's golf team finished fourth at the Mountain West Championships at the Mission Hills Country Club, April 20, marking the Broncos' highest finish in nine years (second; 2013).
Boise State's score of 892 (301-296-295, +28) shattered the 54-hole conference championships school record of 915 set back in 2015. Additionally, the Broncos' third-round total set a program record for the lowest team round at a conference championships, and their second-round score tied for the second-lowest round in school history.
"We're walking away thrilled and feeling like we finally put together a good tournament," first-year head coach Kailin Downs said. "We talked about what could have been. We were just two strokes out from second place, but that's the story of golf, even when you perform well. Ending the season this way fuels our fire for what we are trying to accomplish going forward. It sets the tone for what this program is capable of achieving."
The team finished just two strokes behind runner-up New Mexico (+26), as conference champion San Jose State was the only school to finish under par (-4).
Sophomore Franca Polla led the Blue and Orange, carding rounds of 74-70-75 (+3) en route to a fifth-place finish, the highest finish by a Bronco since Mandi Hedberg tied for fourth in 2006. Polla is just the sixth student-athlete in program history to record a top-five finish at a conference championships.
Furthermore, Polla's 54-hole total of 219 eclipsed Alejandra Lobelo's 2018 school record by three strokes, and she tied the Boise State record for the lowest individual round at a conference championships after firing 2-under during the second round of the tournament.
"Franca [Polla] showed what she is capable of," Downs said. "She struggled a little bit during round three but had put herself in a really good position. I think she can learn from today. Overall, she put together a really nice conference championships. After all, breaking records is always fun."
Senior Elena Castanon and fifth-year senior Lexi Perry also registered top-20 finishes.
After being tied for 25th following the first round of competition, Castanon concluded round two tied for 15th, ultimately moving up the leaderboard three places during the final day of play. Castanon finished tied for 12th, shooting rounds of 76-74-73 (+7).
The Austin, Texas native's 54-hole score of 223 is tied for the third-lowest three-round total in conference championships history.
"Elena [Castanon] has been extremely consistent for us all season," Downs said. "She was putting together really good stretches of balls with birdies and pars. She has been so dependable and seeing how she's improved from this tournament last year to now is exciting. We are looking forward to her coming back and leading us next year."
During the final round of her collegiate career, Perry (78-77-71, +10) fired 1-under par, skyrocketing up the leaderboard 13 places and finishing tied for 18th. Her third-round total is the fourth-lowest in Blue and Orange history, and her 54-hole score of 226 is tied for the ninth-lowest all time.
"I'm really happy Lexi finished on a high note," Downs said. "She was pretty down on herself after the first couple of rounds, but she has been a key member of this program over the past five years, so I was thrilled to see her jump up the leaderboard and finish her career this way, contributing to the team score."
Rounding out Boise State's scoring were sophomore Elli Gordon (73-75-82, +14) and fifth-year senior Nicole Suppelsa (78-84-76, +22).
The MW Championships concluded the Broncos' 2021-22 season.
Boise State's score of 892 (301-296-295, +28) shattered the 54-hole conference championships school record of 915 set back in 2015. Additionally, the Broncos' third-round total set a program record for the lowest team round at a conference championships, and their second-round score tied for the second-lowest round in school history.
"We're walking away thrilled and feeling like we finally put together a good tournament," first-year head coach Kailin Downs said. "We talked about what could have been. We were just two strokes out from second place, but that's the story of golf, even when you perform well. Ending the season this way fuels our fire for what we are trying to accomplish going forward. It sets the tone for what this program is capable of achieving."
The team finished just two strokes behind runner-up New Mexico (+26), as conference champion San Jose State was the only school to finish under par (-4).
Sophomore Franca Polla led the Blue and Orange, carding rounds of 74-70-75 (+3) en route to a fifth-place finish, the highest finish by a Bronco since Mandi Hedberg tied for fourth in 2006. Polla is just the sixth student-athlete in program history to record a top-five finish at a conference championships.
Furthermore, Polla's 54-hole total of 219 eclipsed Alejandra Lobelo's 2018 school record by three strokes, and she tied the Boise State record for the lowest individual round at a conference championships after firing 2-under during the second round of the tournament.
"Franca [Polla] showed what she is capable of," Downs said. "She struggled a little bit during round three but had put herself in a really good position. I think she can learn from today. Overall, she put together a really nice conference championships. After all, breaking records is always fun."
Senior Elena Castanon and fifth-year senior Lexi Perry also registered top-20 finishes.
After being tied for 25th following the first round of competition, Castanon concluded round two tied for 15th, ultimately moving up the leaderboard three places during the final day of play. Castanon finished tied for 12th, shooting rounds of 76-74-73 (+7).
The Austin, Texas native's 54-hole score of 223 is tied for the third-lowest three-round total in conference championships history.
"Elena [Castanon] has been extremely consistent for us all season," Downs said. "She was putting together really good stretches of balls with birdies and pars. She has been so dependable and seeing how she's improved from this tournament last year to now is exciting. We are looking forward to her coming back and leading us next year."
During the final round of her collegiate career, Perry (78-77-71, +10) fired 1-under par, skyrocketing up the leaderboard 13 places and finishing tied for 18th. Her third-round total is the fourth-lowest in Blue and Orange history, and her 54-hole score of 226 is tied for the ninth-lowest all time.
"I'm really happy Lexi finished on a high note," Downs said. "She was pretty down on herself after the first couple of rounds, but she has been a key member of this program over the past five years, so I was thrilled to see her jump up the leaderboard and finish her career this way, contributing to the team score."
Rounding out Boise State's scoring were sophomore Elli Gordon (73-75-82, +14) and fifth-year senior Nicole Suppelsa (78-84-76, +22).
The MW Championships concluded the Broncos' 2021-22 season.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Golf
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/ Women's Golf
/ Women's Golf
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