PORTLAND, Ore. — It was a performance for the school record books by the Montana State Billings women’s golf team last week at the Southern Colorado Open, as the Yellowjackets shot the best two-round team total in program history.
After posting a team score of 309 in the opening round, MSUB cut off 11 strokes to finish with a 298 for a two-round total of 607. That bested the previous school record for a two-round team score of 610, which was set in September of 2015.
The strong performance elevated the Yellowjackets into a tie for third place among a field of 15 teams, which included a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents. MSUB was selected as the Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week on Monday.
All five of the Yellowjackets who competed at the event shot in the 70s in each of their rounds, leading to the 10-over-par 298 the second time through the course. That marked just the third time in program history that the women broke 300 in a round, and it was one stroke off the school single-round record of 297.
Leading the charge was the tandem of Orraya Tipasathien and Kyleigh McGowen, who finished in a tie for 12th place among a field of 84 competitors. Tipasathien posted a two-round score of 150 (76-74), showing improvement between rounds and cutting off a pair of strokes.
A first-team all-GNAC selection in 2024-25, Tipasathien highlighted her round with an eagle on the par-5, 458-yard 15th hole her second time through the course. She totaled four birdies throughout the week as well, and her best stretch was a 1-under-par 35 on the front-nine in the second round. Tipasathien ranks second in the GNAC in raw stroke average in 2025-26, holding a mark of 74.5 strokes per round across her 15 rounds played.
In her first season with the Yellowjackets, McGowan sits third on the team with a scoring average of 80.3 strokes per round. The New Mexico Junior College transfer had her best round of the season on day two of the event, posting a 1-over-par 73 that included two birdies.
That came after she carded a 77 in the opening round, on her way to matching Tipasathien’s score. McGowan is one of three Yellowjackets to have competed in all 15 of the team’s rounds this year.
Finishing three strokes behind and tying for 20th place at the tournament was sophomore Ella Tannenberger. She posted a two-round score of 153 (79-74) and, like her 12th-place teammates showed marked improvement between rounds.
After opening with a 7-over-par 79, the 2024-25 GNAC freshman of the year cut down by five strokes on her way to a 2-over-par 74. Her tournament included three birdies and nothing worse than a bogey across her 36 holes played. Tannenberger ranks second on the team and 11th in the conference this year with a scoring average of 77.9 strokes per round.
Finishing in a tie for 27th place among a field of 84 players was Pygmy Kompoj, who turned in a score of 155 (77-78). Kompoj’s 5-over-par 77 in the opening round was her best single-round score of the year, and it included a birdie on the par-3, 146-yard 17th hole. Kompoj has been a key contributor in the Yellowjacket lineup in 2025-26, ranking fourth on the team in scoring average at 81.4 strokes per round.
The sophomore from Pathum Thani, Thailand, is in her second season competing on the team.
Newcomer Emy Cambuzat rounded out the field of competitors for MSUB last week, finishing in a tie for 32nd place with a two-round score of 156 (79-77). The freshman from Orgeval, France, posted her best collegiate score thus far, shooting a 5-over-par 77 in the second round. Cambuzat logged six total birdies across the tournament, lowering her season scoring average to 83.1 strokes per round.
The Yellowjackets are under the guidance of Adam Buie, who is in his fifth season as head coach in the Magic City. The women’s team’s scoring average of 317.7 strokes per round in 2024-25 was third lowest in program history.
With the 2026 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships looming in three weeks, the Yellowjackets gained a stroke of confidence with notable head-to-head results against conference opponents.
MSUB’s team score was seven strokes lower than seventh-place Seattle Pacific, which shot 614 (308-306) and 25 strokes ahead of 11th-place Saint Martin’s which shot 632 (323-309). MSUB lowered its team scoring average to 313.7 strokes per round on the season, keeping itself ranked fourth among the six GNAC women’s golf programs.
The ‘Jackets are on pace to catch the 2015-16 team for the lowest scoring average in a single season, with that record being established at 316.0 strokes per round a decade ago. The 2026 GNAC Golf Championships run April 20-22 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
