FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Feb. 9, 2024) – Back on the course for the first time since October, the Northern Arizona University women's golf team begins its Spring season this week. The Lumberjacks will be in action at the Mountain Classic Match Play at the Classic Club in Palm Desert, Calif., from Feb. 12-14.
The event is co-hosted by Boise State and Wyoming. Last season, NAU competed in the same tournament and finished in second place, picking up wins over Southern Utah and Boise State before falling to Nevada.
In this year's event, match play competitions will be composed of five singles matches, using USGA match play scoring. Each singles match winner will be awarded one point. Matches that are tied/halved will be awarded ½ point. The team match score will be determined by totaling the points for the five singles matches. The team with the most points will be the winner.
Northern Arizona will begin day one by facing Big Sky Conference opponent, Montana State. The Lumberjacks will tee off between 11 a.m. and 12:50 p.m. Mountain Standard time each day and play one round of 18 holes.
Should the Lumberjacks win on day one, they will move on to the semi-final of the championship side of the bracket and face the winner of Seattle U and Wyoming on Feb. 13. A loss will move NAU to the consolation side of the bracket, playing the loser of Seattle vs. Wyoming.
Boise State, Portland State, St. Thomas and North Dakota State play on the other side of the bracket to round out the playing field, and the Lumberjacks will face one of those four squads in the finals or the consolation finals on Feb. 14.
Live scoring will be available
HERE on Smart Golf. All seven golfers will be in action with
Ellena Slater,
Lizzie Neale,
Amy Hodgkins,
Ekaterina Malakhova and
Lorel Hayward making up the lineup and
Nina Lukyanenko and
Frankie Dezis competing as individuals.
During the offseason, Northern Arizona was picked to finish second in the Big Sky Preseason Coaches Poll with one first place vote behind defending champions, Sacramento State.
The Lumberjacks are coming off a fourth-place finish at last year's championships after winning the program's ninth title in 2022. Northern Arizona returns three all-conference performances in sophomore
Slater (first team), sophomore
Neale (second team) and fifth-year senior
Hayward (honorable mention).
Northern Arizona saw a successful Fall season conclude with several program records, ending the year with a third-place finish at The Clash at Boulder Creek with a new program record for 54 holes, 839 (-25). Out of four Fall tournaments, NAU finished in the top six three times.
The Lumberjacks also welcomed two new true freshmen in
Hodgkins and
Dezis are among the team leaders in scoring averages. Hodgkins finished in the top-ten in two tournaments during the fall, averaging 71.83 strokes per round and shot 68 two different times. Dezis is averaging 73.75 strokes per round and recorded a career-low 68 this season.
Neale earned her second Big Sky Golfer of the Week nod this season and ranks second on the team in scoring with 72.33. She recorded a top-five finish and shot a career-low 67 to tie the program record during the Fall. Slater owned a scoring average of 73.58 during the Fall and notched one top-five finish.
Following this week, NAU returns to action at the Grand Canyon Invitational from Feb. 27-28. The two-day tournament takes place in Phoenix, Ariz., and is hosted by Grand Canyon at its host course. Last season, the Lumberjacks walked away with a second-place finish after shooting an 858 (-6) for a then program record through 54 holes. Also highlighting the action was
Slater who shot a 67 (-5), tying a program record.
