Badosa earns individual top five slot, guides Mside

LAS VEGAS, NEV. – Morningside University narrowly missed a spot on the team leaderboard first five March 21-22 at the Paiute Battle hosted by Grand View College and Texas Wesleyan University.

Head coach Nick Wanderscheid's Mustangs, entering the tourney listed just outside the recent National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' best 25, carded a 697 over the 36-hole tournament. Their total was only 17 strokes behind Oregon Tech College, which wound up fifth at 680. 

Individually, senior Laia Badosa (Girona, Spain) managed to master the Sun Mountain course layout, especially during first-round play. Her 78 had her two shots in front going into Tuesday's final 18. Badosa came back with an 82 for a 160 total that put her fourth and only four shots out of medalist honors.

Morningside returns to spring competition April 12-13. They're part of the College of Saint Mary and Midland University Invitational.

NOTES: Sophomore Sofia Castelan (Queretaro, Mexico) was second-low for Mside. She finished at 174 and was among the top 40 … Morningside defeated fellow "Others Receiving Votes" programs Rocky Mountain College and Bellevue University on the team standings.