NORTH PLAINS, Ore.—Lewis & Clark College men's golf earned their highest finish as a team at the Northwest Conference Fall Classic in a decade on Monday, as Lewis & Clark golf closed out their first of three NWC Tournaments. 
 
THE BASICS 
 
Men's Golf – T-4^th out of 9 Teams – 582 (291-291) +14
Women's Golf – No Team Score 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED 
 
Men's Golf turned in a team score of 291 (+7) for the second-straight day to earn their first top-four finish at the NWC Fall Classic since the 2016 NWC Fall Classic. Women's golf first year Payton Richardson closed out her first career NWC tournament in a tie for 12^th overall. 
 
MEN'S RECAP 
 
Senior Luke Blankinship earned a top-10 finish and junior Mason Hill and sophomore Trae Fredrickson each shot even par on Monday to help lead the River Otters. 
 
Blankinship recorded his third career top-10 finish at an NWC event on Monday. After shooting a 70 (-1) on Sunday, the senior registered a 73 (+2) on Monday. Blankinship registered four birdies, six bogeys and eight pars on Day Two. The senior closed out the tournament with a score of 143 (+1) to finish in a tie for 10th overall. The result was his best career finish at an NWC Fall Classic. 
 
Hill and Fredrickson each carded rounds of 71 (Even) on Monday to finish tied for first on the team. Hill racked up a team-high five birdies on Monday and tacked on nine pars. Frederickson notched three straight birdies to go -3 on the front nine. The sophomore finished the day with three birdies, 14 pars, one bogey and one double bogey. Hill and Fredrickson each finished the tournament with two-round scores of 145 (+3) to place tied for 15^th overall. 
 
Junior Joonho Moon placed fourth on the team on Monday and for the tournament. The junior shot a 76 (+5) on Day Two. He recorded two birdies and 11 pars during his second round. Moon closed out the tournament with a score of 149 (+7) to finish in a tie for 20^th overall. 
 
Senior Kenji Pickeral placed fifth on the team on Monday and during the tournament. The senior shot a 79 (+8) during his second round. Pickeral registered two birdies and seven pars on Monday. He finished the tournament in a tie for 32^nd with a score of 153 (+11). 
 
WOMEN'S RECAP 
 
Richardson and junior Lauren Raitanen represented women's golf in the team's first of three NWC Tournaments of the season. 
After a tough start to her day, Richardson bounced back to finish out the tournament in a tie for 12^th overall. The first year posted her one birdie and four pars across her final 11 holes to post an 86 (+15). She finished the tournament with a two-day total of 166 (+24). Richardson wrapped up the tournament in a tie for 12^thoverall. 
 
Raitanen improved her score by three strokes on Monday. The junior notched a score of 116 (+45) on Day Two. The sophomore finished 40^th overall with a two-day total of 235 (+93). 
 
BY THE NUMBERS 

• Men's golf's tied for 4^th-place finish is their best since the 2016-17 team placed fourth at the 2016 NWC Fall Classic. Lewis & Clark finished the 2016 tournament with a two-day score of 611 (+35). 
• Richardson finished the tournament first in the field with a 3.00 (Even Par) average on Par 3s. 
• Men's Golf placed second in the field as a team in total birdies (32) and in Par 5 average (4.78, -9). 
• Blankinship (nine) and Hill (eight) finished tied for sixth and eighth in the field in total birdies. 
• Richardson tied for first overall on the women's side with four birdies across 36 holes.
• Whitman College won the men's tournament with a two-day score of 554 (-14). Willamette University (569, +1) and Whitworth (580, +12) rounded out the top three teams on the men's side. Lewis & Clark (582, +14) tied Linfield University (582, +14) and finished 11 strokes ahead of sixth-place Pacific Lutheran University (593, +25). 
• Fredrickson wrapped up the tournament second in the field with a 3.83 average (-3) on Par 4s. 
• Pickeral placed tied for third in the field with his 4.38 average (-5) on Par 5s. 
• George Fox University won the women's tournament with a two-day score of 629 (+61). 
• Moon closed out the tournament tied for second in total pars (24) and tied for third in fewest bogeys (five). 
• Fredrickson placed tied for seventh in fewest bogeys (seven) and tied for eighth in fewest double bogeys (two). 
• Willamette University's AJ Papajohn (133, -9) and George Fox University's Ashlyn Johnson (152, +10) won the individual titles. 

WHAT'S NEXT 
 
The NWC Fall Classic marked the final competition of the Fall for women's golf. The men's team have one tournament remaining this Fall, as they will travel to California for The Clash on October 19-20. The two-day tournament will be hosted at the Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.