WALLA WALLA, Wash. — Puget Sound women's golf opened the Wine Valley Invitational with grit and resolve on Sunday, posting solid rounds against deep Northwest Conference competition.

Kaila Bonawitz led the way for the Loggers, carding an 85 (+13) on the par-72 Wine Valley Golf Club layout. Her round was highlighted by steady play on the front nine, where she made the turn at +4. Despite a tough stretch midway through the back nine, she secured one of the team's low round of the day. Cayton Smith also posted an 85, sitting in second place across all Loggers.

Right behind her was Francesca Brinkman, who turned in an 87 (+15). Brinkman's round began with a string of consistent bogeys, but a birdie on the par-3 sixth briefly turned the tide. However, the back nine proved challenging as the wind picked up, and she closed with a 44 on the inward nine. Kira Goode recorded an 87 as well, the fourth in what has proven to be a particularly crowded individual leaderboard.

As a team, Puget Sound sits in the middle of the pack after Round 1, with all four golfers tied between +13 and +15. The Loggers will look to build on their consistency in Monday's final round.

Leading the individual field is George Fox's Liana Brown, who fired an even-par 72 to take a one-shot lead. The Bruins dominate the top of the board, but the Loggers are aiming to climb the leaderboard with a strong team showing in Round 2.

In the second and final day of the NWC Spring Invite, the team made a push to disrupt the standings. Goode came out strong with a 35 on the front nine, highlighted by birdies on holes 3, 4, and 8. She improved on her round one score by 10 strokes, climbing into 8th place on the leaderboard.

Behind her, Bonawitz recorded the tournament's only eagle on the par-5 7th hole, but faltered on the back nine and finished with an 84 (+12) in round two. Cayton Smith shot 43 on both the front and the back, ending the day with +14.

Brinkman and Kearney rounded out the Loggers scores with an 89 and 91, respectively. With all five team members placing in the top 35, the Loggers were able to secure a sixth place team finish with a total score of 336.

Final Logger standings:
- Kira Goode: +20 (87-77)
- Kaila Bonawitz: +25 (85-84)
- Cayton Smith: +27 (85-86)
- Francesca Brinkman: +32 (87-89)
- Makayla Kearney: +38 (91-91)

The NWC Championship, which is the third of three events played to determine a conference champion, will be played on Sunday, April 20th, and Monday, April 21st. The tournament will be held at Michelbook Country Club in McMinnville, Ore.