September 28, 2005

BELLINGHAM, Wash.–Shane Prante (Sr., Olympia, WA) placed first in medalist play as the Saints placed fifth in the 34th annual WWU Viking Men’s Golf Invitational held at the Bellingham Golf & Country Club.

Two-time All-American Shane Prante became the tourney’s first three-time medalist as he shot even par 72 for a 209 total, seven strokes under par, to win by one shot. Prante also was the individual champion at last week’s Saint Martin’s University Invitational.

No. 5 ranked Western Washington University shot a final-round 289 Tuesday to win by the same six-stroke margin it led by after Monday's opening two rounds. The Vikings finished with a 54-hole total of 857, shooting a second-round 275, the best of the tournament. Cal State-Bakersfield also shot 289 and placed second at 863, and Cal State-Stanislaus was third at 866, shooting 287 to tie the Washington JV team for Tuesday’s best round. Simon Fraser placed fourth in the team standings at 879 (293), and there was a three-way tie for fifth at 881 between Saint Martin’s (290), Sonoma State (290), and Chico State (297).

The Saints, coming off a historic season being ranked in the Top 25 nationally and qualifying for the programs first-ever NCAA Division II National Tournament, opened their season last week just six strokes behind nationally ranked WWU to take second place at the Saint Martin’s University Invitational.

SMU is back in action on Oct. 9-11 at the Chico State Invitational at the Butte Creek Country Club.