SALEM, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College women's golf put together a strong Day One, to sit third out of 10 teams at the Willamette Valley Classic. 
 
THE BASICS 
 
Women's Golf – 3^rd out of 10 Teams – 328 (+44) 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
The top four River Otters all finished in the top-half of the field, to help Lewis & Clark sit second out of seven Northwest Conference schools. This weekend's Willamette Valley Classic is the first tournament of the spring where the majority of the conference is competing at the same event. Lewis & Clark sits behind only #23 George Fox University (+26) and NAIA #22 Lewis-Clark State (+31). 
 
Sophomore Ahika Jani is in contention to win the tournament after a strong opening 18 holes. Jani carded a 75 (+4) to sit in a three-way tie for second overall. The sophomore posted two bogeys, a double bogey and one birdie on the back nine, to open her day at +3. She notched just two bogeys and added her second birdie of the day on the front nine to finish at +4. 
 
First year Kimber Yoder finished second on the team and tied for 19^th overall. Yoder recorded pars on five of her first seven holes to start the day +5. She would end her round with eight bogeys and a pair of double bogeys to finish with an 83 (+12). 
 
Sophomore Evie Denton and first year Darwyn Kormany tied for third on the team and 22^nd in the field. Both players took advantage of the back nine. Denton posted five of her six pars on the back nine to get off to a decent start. Kormany added eight pars but tacked on two double bogeys and one triple to match Denton with identical rounds of 85 (+14). 
 
Sophomore captain Natalie Nuñez Lezama placed fifth on the team and 44^th overall. Nuñez Lezama posted a round of 95 (+24). She notched back-to-back pars on the par 4 second and par 3 third holes. 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Jani is one stroke back of George Fox University's Ashlyn Johnson (+3). She is tied with the Bruins Katelyn Lam and Lewis-Clark State's Isabella Barquet at +4. 
• After Oregon saw over four inches of rain this week, scoring was high throughout the field. The course average across the 53 golfers on Saturday was an 87.08 (+16). 
• Lewis & Clark sits tied for third as a team on par 3s (3.56, +14) and third on par 4 average (4.80, +36). 
• Jani led the field on Saturday with a 2.80 (-1) average on par 3s. Denton was just behind her (t-4^th) with a 3.20 average (+1). Jani also finished tied for first on par 5s (4.75, -1). 
• Kormany led the team and finished tied for 7^th on par 4s with an average of 4.56 (+5). 
• Jani finished tied for third in the field in pars (11) and tied for fourth in birdies (two). 

WHO'S NEXT
 
Women's Golf will return to Creekside Golf Course for a 9:30 a.m. shotgun start on Sunday.