Things could not have gone any better for the Point Loma women’s golf team in the first round of PLNU Reach 2016 at Riverwalk Golf Club in Mission Valley. Four Sea Lion student-athletes are tied for fourth or better on the individual leaderboard and the team has been an 18 stroke lead thanks to firing a 300 (+12) on Monday. Samantha Stockton paced PLNU with a 1-over 73. She is just one stroke off the pace set by Caroline Ordian of Redlands for the tournament lead. Stockton registered five birdies on the first day, and was just short of the first round lead. She shot 1-under on par-5s and even-par on par-3s. This was her third 73 in her last four rounds.
 
“Every time I turned around Samantha was bringing me a smile,” said Point Loma head coach Noel Allen. “She had some really fun shots to go 3-under on the front-9. She never ceases to amaze me, as do all our women.”
 
Haley Fuller is two strokes back and is alone in third place with a 3-over 75. The sophomore had three birdies and was even-par on par-5 scoring.
 
Michelle Picca and Rima Antous are tied for fourth after shooting 76s (+4) in the first round. Antous had three birdies and was 1-under on par-5s. This was Antous’ best round of her career. Picca registered a pair of birdies and was 1-under on the par-3s. Picca paced PLNU for the day with 11 pars.
 
Point Loma was the only team with three or more individuals in the top 10. No other school even had four in the top 20.
 
“The women played wonderfully,” said coach Allen. “There were a few obstacles out here today. The greens were rolling incredibly fast but (our women) were able to take control of them and put themselves ahead of the other teams by just executing every shot.
 
“It is great when all the women get going like today,” continued Allen. “They all feed off each other and elevate each other’s’ play.”
 
Those strong individual performances helped the Sea Lions build an 18 stroke lead on second-place Academy of Art. PLNU currently leads fellow PacWest members California Baptist by 20 strokes, Dominican by 21 strokes and Dixie State by 43.
 
The second round of PLNU Reach 2016 will start on Tuesday, Feb. 9 with a shotgun start at 7:30 a.m.