PALM DESERT, Calif. (Feb. 10, 2025) – The Northern Arizona women's golf team opened its spring slate with a 4-0-1 victory over Wyoming in the first round of the Mountain Classic Matchplay today.
Leading off for the Lumberjacks was junior Lizzie Neale. After going 1-down on the first hole, she made a birdie on the par-five fourth to bring the match to all-square. A string of pars helped her gain a 1-up lead by the ninth hole and 2-up by the 10th. A double bogey on the par-three 12th brought the match back to 1-up, and Wyoming's Kyla Wilde birdied the par-five 14th to make it all-square. Neale parred the last six holes, securing a 2-up win on 18.
Sumin Kang was out second, facing Meghan Vogt. Like the first match, Wyoming took an early lead with a birdie on the first hole. The match went back and forth, but Kang's steady play with nine pars and a bogey, kept it all-square through 10. She dropped a shot on 11 to go 1-down but rebounded with a par on 12 to even the match again. A birdie on the par-four 13th gave her a 1-up lead, followed by a par on 14 to go 2-up. A final par on 16 secured her a 3&2 victory.
In the third match, NAU's Amy Hodgkins took on Kira Reisner. Hodgkins went 1-up on the third hole with a birdie and extended her lead to 2-up with another birdie on the seventh. Reisner responded with back-to-back birdies on eight and nine to even the match. Two dropped shots on 11 and 12 put Hodgkins 2-down, but she bounced back with birdies on 12 and 14 to level the score again. The Australian finished strong, birdieing 16 and 18 to clinch a 1-up win. In total, the two players combined for 10 birdies.
Ava Bates faced Sophie Spiva in the fourth match. Wyoming came out strong, recording three birdies in the first four holes to take a 4-up lead. By the seventh hole, Bates was 5-down. She steadied herself with eight consecutive pars, cutting the deficit to 2-down by the 15th hole. However, a bogey on the par-four 16th ended the match in Wyoming's favor, 3&2.
Ellena Slater rounded out the lineup, taking on Emerson Purcell. Despite birdieing the opening hole, Slater found herself 1-down after her opponent holed out from 130 yards for an eagle. She fell to 2-down after three holes, but a dropped shot by Wyoming on the sixth brought it back to 1-down. The next seven holes were halved, including matching birdies on 12. A par on 13 brought the match to all-square, and a birdie on 14 gave Slater her first lead. Wyoming answered with a birdie on 17 to even the match again, but Slater drained a long putt on 18 to secure a 1-up win and send the Lumberjacks to the semifinals.
Competing as an individual, Frankie Dezis faced South Dakota State's Cora Larson. Dezis birdied the first hole to take an early 1-up lead. A steady stretch of holes put her 2-up by the eighth. SDSU responded with a birdie on nine to cut the lead to one, but Dezis answered with back-to-back birdies on 11 and 12 for a 3-up advantage. She closed out the match with three consecutive pars, earning a 4&3 victory.
Also playing as an individual, Nina Lukyanenko took on Wyoming's Grace Dunkleberger. A few early mistakes left her 4-down by the sixth hole. However, a par on 10 and a birdie on 11 sparked a comeback, cutting the deficit to two. She birdied 14, 16, and 18, completing the rally for a 2-up victory on the final hole.
Tomorrow, the Lumberjacks will face St. Thomas, who they defeated in last year's final to claim the championship. Play begins at 11:00 a.m. Mountain Standard time.
