Polla Ties for Third, Leads Broncos to Top-Five Finish in Utah

Thursday, March 9

St. George, Utah (Sunbrook GC)

Boise State

Pizza Hut-Lady Thunderbird Invitational

Franca Polla holding her plaque with coaches Kailin Down and Lexi Perry after finishing third at Lady Thunderbird Invitational

Polla Ties for Third, Leads Broncos to Top-Five Finish in Utah

3/11/2023 4:45:00 PM | Women's Golf

ST. GEORGE, Utah – The Boise State women's golf team, led by junior Franca Polla, finished third at the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational at the Sunbrook Golf Course, March 9-11.

The Broncos were just two strokes shy of joining Wyoming and California Baptist atop the leaderboard, tallying a score of 887 (293-303-291, +23).

Polla collected her first top-10 finish of the season, carding rounds of 72-75-71 (+2). The Portland, Ore., native concluded the second round tied for eighth, but fired 1-under par during the final 18 holes and climbed the leaderboard, ultimately finishing tied for third.

Quotables

"Today's performance during the final round of competition is a testament to what this team is capable of. I am pleased with our third-place finish, but being just two strokes back from a tournament title left us all fueled for our next opportunity." -head coach Kailin Downs
"I am extremely proud of Franca for moving up the leaderboard today and finishing inside the top five. Her performance, along with having three others capture top-20 finishes, makes me excited for our final three tournaments this season." -Downs
"I started off the tournament with a very average round, and the second day I took a bit of a hit and it was a battle to finish 3-over par. I went into the final round with nothing to lose, and I knew I had the birdies and just needed to eliminate the big numbers. That's what I did and it worked out." -junior Franca Polla
"Overall, it was a great tournament, but I know I can do better. I am excited for what's next." -Polla

Top Broncos

Junior Franca Polla shot a team-low round of 71 (-1) during the third day.
In addition to Polla, three Broncos achieved top-25 finishes in junior Elli Gordon (tied for 11th), freshman Leia Chung (T-14) and sophomore Hannah Lim (T-19).
It marked the third top-25 performance this season for each of the four women, and Polla's first top-10 finish of the season and third of her Boise State career.
Polla, Gordon and Lim achieved their highest finishes of the 2022-23 season.

Notables

Boise State (887, +23) posted the 10th-lowest 54-hole total in program history.
The Broncos tallied the lowest third-round score among the 16-team field.
It marked the team's third top-five finish this season and its best performance since winning the fall season-opener (Sept. 12-13).

What's Next – Boise State is slated to compete in the Anuenue Spring Break Classic in Maui, Hawaii at the Ka'anapali Royal Golf Course. The three-day tournament will commence March 27.