HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo. (October 7, 2022) – The Northern Arizona golf team posted their lowest opening round of the young season as the Lumberjacks sit in eighth after Friday's action at the Ron Moore Intercollegiate. NAU shot 4-over par 292, marking not only its top first round score, but also its second-lowest round overall this season.
Starting on the back nine, NAU's four scoring golfers combined to shoot 6-over par prior to the turn before freshman
Ellena Slater's 3-under par on the front nine was the catalyst for a great final nine holes of the day. The Lumberjacks shot 2-under par as a team on the front nine overall.
Slater and senior
Lorel Hayward are tied for 19th individually after both shooting even-par 72. Slater finished the round with a flurry, recording four birdies in her last five holes to shoot 33 on the front nine. Meanwhile, Hayward was consistent throughout the day registering 14 pars with a pair of birdies and a pair of bogeys.
The 72 was Slater's second consecutive par or better round, while Hayward's 72 was her best round of the season. It also matched Hayward's third-lowest round of her career.
Fifth-year
Aleksandra Chekalina also closed strong, playing her last seven holes to a combined 2-under par. She finished the day with four birdies, second on the team only behind Slater's five, and shot 1-over par 73 to tie for 24th. Freshman
Lizzie Neale gave the Lumberjacks four golfers in the top 40 overall as she posted a first round 3-over par 75.
Junior
Ekaterina Malakhova made her season debut and shot 10-over par 82 and is tied for 86th.
NAU was exceptional on the par-3s, shooting a tournament-best 4-under par on the four par-3 holes. The Lumberjacks recorded seven total birdies on the par-3s and overall are tied for third in the 16-team field with 14 birdies.
Malakhova will tee off first for the Lumberjacks on Saturday at 7:30 a.m. MST with Neale, Chekalina, Hayward and Slater to follow. The 'Jacks will open the second round on the front nine at hole 1.
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Full Team Leaderboard
1. Vanderbilt – 280 (-8)
2. New Mexico – 284 (-4)
3. Denver – 288 (E)
T4. Colorado State – 290 (+2)
T4. Xavier – 290 (+2)
T6. Tulane – 291 (+3)
T6. Incarnate Word – 291 (+3)
8. Northern Arizona – 292 (+4)
9. Chattanooga – 293 (+5)
T10. San Diego State – 296 (+8)
T11. Hawai'i – 299 (+11)
T11. Delaware – 299 (+11)
T13. Iowa – 302 (+14)
T13. Fresno State – 302 (+14)
15. Grand Canyon – 303 (+15)
16. Wyoming – 311 (+23)
NAU Individual Scores
T19.
Lorel Hayward – 72 (E)
T19.
Ellena Slater – 72 (E)
T24.
Aleksandra Chekalina – 73 (+1)
T39.
Lizzie Neale – 75 (+3)
T86.
Ekaterina Malakhova – 82 (+10)
