KLAMATH, Ore. - The Simpson Red Hawks men's and women's teams played Oregon Tech's Run-In at the Ranch this week, marking the girls' first time with a full team in years. 

With temperatures in the 50s, both the men and the women struggled early. They ended the first day at +27 and +58 respectively. 

The standout performers for the men's team were Justin Kiester and Jake Gardner, shooting 75 (+3) to end the round in 11th place out of the 48 athletes in the event. 

Gardner, who played as an individual, mixed six birdies with nine bogeys in what was a rollercoaster of a round. 

Kiester rectified an average round with an eagle on his penultimate hole to keep him in contention entering the final round. 

Katelyn Miller finished the first round inside the top ten after an 81 (+9) in her first round as a collegiate athlete.  

An inclement in weather on day one cancelled the second round, reducing the tournament from 54 to 36 holes. 

The second day the weather remained the same, with both teams struggling to make up ground.  

Gardner got off to a blistering start with an eagle and two birdies in his first four holes. However, after five bogeys mid-round, Gardner signed for a 72 (E), the round of the week for the Red Hawks. He finished with a team-high ninth place in his first start as a freshman. 

"A verse that comes to mind is Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me," Gardner said. 

"Going into things I tried my best to trust my capabilities and believe in myself, letting God do the rest for me," he followed. 

Ty Salvador was at 7-over before his last round. Even through ten holes, he carded a triple-bogey seven at the par 4 sixth hole. An emphatic finish, however, where he made three birdies in his last six holes, put him at 1-over for the day. A hard working 73 for the senior from Hilmar. 

"I didn't hit the ball great or putt great on the front nine which led to a slow start, but I ended up salvaging my score as much as I could," Salvador said. 

"Overall, I've got some work to do but I'm looking forward to the challenges ahead," he concluded. 

The men finished the tournament at +49 for seventh place out of nine teams. Fynn Junghans bounced back from an opening 84 (+12) with a 76 (+4) to finish 35th. Kiester faltered after his strong start, shooting 83 (+11) in his last round to place 31st. Ethan Phillips was only able to make one birdie throughout the two rounds. He finished at +16 in 35th place. John Kramer shot +18 to place 39th in his first tournament as a Red Hawk. 

The girls beat their first-round score by two strokes to finish at +114 overall in 5th place out of seven. Katelyn Miller proved to be the standout performer, shooting 81 (+9) and 77 (+5) to finish in eighth place, a solid week for the freshman.  

"I felt like there was a lot of ups and downs in my playing, but in the end my short game helped me a ton," Miller said. 

"The tournament was a great experience for the future and tons of fun because of time spent with the team," she said. 

Addison Jones followed Miller's performance with a +33 as she finished in 23rd place out of 42 athletes. Katelyn Cassinelli and Kiley Menne both shot +34 to finish 26th. Emily Cabbiness and Ella Leal shot +43 and +51 respectively for the two rounds, placing 31st and 37th. 

According to coach Jason Deaver, his players weren't prepared for the weather and let their minds get in the way. 

"Jake (Gardner), a 17-year-old freshman, absolutely killed it. On day 1, he had a lot of little mistakes, leaving him with a good amount of bogeys, but rallying with six birdies to shoot 75," Deaver said 

"On day 2, he came out hot, getting to 4-under on the first four holes, but realized where his score was at and let it turn him into defensive mode, later holding strong to shoot even par. A great showing from the freshman shooting 3-over and finishing in the top 10," Deaver concluded. 

On Miller's performance, Deaver said, "She's playing solid golf, being a freshman playing in her first collegiate event and showing why she deserves to be there." 

Deaver says the team has a lot of work to do going forward and needs to figure out how to put God first, trusting His plan through each swing rather than trying to win on their own. 

The Red Hawks travel to Salishan Links in Salem next as they play in Corban University's Coastal Collegiate Classic from October 3-5. 

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