April 2, 2008

LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech's recent wave of success continued Wednesday as the Lady Raiders sewed up their fourth straight top-five finish of the season and a program-best seventh of the year with a 58-over 922 fourth-place finish at the BYU Dixie Classic in St. George, Utah.

Since starting the spring season with a 14th place showing at the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in late February, coach Stacey Totman's squad has found a groove out west as they tallied a third-place finish at the Rio Verde Invitational in Phoenix, before coming in third just three days later at the UNLV Spring Invitational in Las Vegas. Tech then followed with its third straight third-place showing Sunday at the Mountainview Intercollegiate in Tucson before coming in fourth Wednesday.

After firing rounds of 304 and 319 to open the event Tuesday, the Lady Raiders came out strong and never looked back. Junior Megan Dowdy birdied three of her first four holes, while freshman Robyn Scott and Ulrika Van Niekerk played steady rounds to help Tech record the second-lowest round of the day at 11-over 299 in its final tune up before the Big 12 Championships three weeks from now.

Three Lady Raiders finished in the top 20 individually as Dowdy carded a two-under 70 for the day to bolt from 29th into a tie for 12th at 12-over 228 (77-81-70). Scott tied for eighth at 10-over 226 (73-78-75) to lead the way and record the best finish of her young career. Van Niekerk picked up her third top 20 finish of the spring by tying for 20th at 16-over 232 (77-80-75), and Stephanie Smith came in at 24-over 240 (77-80-83) to finish 32nd overall. Rosalyn Kim rounded off the team scoring at 244 (83-82-79), while Gloriana Soto finished 31st at 239 (80-84-75) and Alex Gibson finished with a 245 (82-82-81) competing as individuals.

Host and No. 34-ranked Brigham Young won the event at 25-over 889. Big 12 foe Nebraska (894) finished five strokes back in second, with Colorado State (913) 24 strokes back in third. Tech finished 33 strokes out in fourth, while Oral Roberts (940) rounded off the top five. Finishing behind them was New Mexico State (945), Portland State (947), Wyoming (958) Weber State (967), Utah Valley State College (1030), Idaho State (1051) and Southern Utah (1053).

The Lady Raiders will now return to Lubbock to continue sharpening their game in preparation for the Big 12 Championships, which are set to get under way April 25 in Stillwater, Okla.