Western New Mexico University’s men's and women's golf teams are the only winners the Cactus Thaw has ever seen. Both teams delivered solid performances Sunday and outdistanced their respective fields over a tough-playing Silver City Golf Course, their home stomping grounds. Both Mustang squads also took the inaugural event in 2007.
WNMU seniors Marcus Molina (Albuquerque, NM) and Tina Bickford (Butte, MT) maintained their first round leads to take medalist honors in each division. Molina, who shot 67-72 (-3) held off University of Arizona's Mark Lamb who closed with 68 to pull within two shots of the lead. WNMU's Greg Pool (Surrey, BC), Scottsdale Community College's Ben Lange and South Mountain Community College's Chace Nathe finished tied for third at three-over.
On the women's side, Bickford's matched her first round tally of 77 with the same score Sunday and held off a late bid from last year's champion Jessica McKay (Grand Canyon University), who also shot 77 to finish five shots off the lead. The talented twosome, who also finished 1-2 last year, were tied with six holes to play, but McKay faded down the stretch while Bickford finished those holes one-under par.
The Mustang women captured their third tournament of the year with the victory in 'The Thaw’ after posting scores of 327-319, 63 shots better than second-place Mesa Community College (351-358). Grand Canyon University finished third (361-355), followed by Adams State College (368-370). The College of the Southwest shot 378 in the closing round but didn't have a team score in round one.
The Mustang men's closing 283 (-1) improved their first round advantage of nine shots to a 22-shot final advantage of Scottsdale Community College, the NJCAA National Champions last year. The University of Arizona's B team moved up to third after closing with 291, matching Scottsdale's final round tally.
South Mountain Community College faded to fourth, followed by Mesa Community College, Midland Community College, Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Grand Canyon University (B), College of the Southwest, Colorado School of Mines, Montana State University – Billings, and New Mexico Military Institute.
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