PORTLAND, Ore. – After tying the school record for a two-round score and tying for first place at the Western Washington University Invitational last week, Montana State University Billings women's golf junior Sammy Walter has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week announced the conference office on Monday.
 
Walter shot a career-best 72 in the opening round of the event, and followed with a 74 for a two-round total of 146. The performance tied the school record, set by MSUB sophomore Kortney McNeil last fall at the NCAA Division II National Preview tournament.
 
"I was very happy with Sammy's performance in the Western Washington tournament," said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. "She drove the ball extremely well, and was able to hit a high percentage of greens in regulation. Her putting has improved a lot over the last three weeks, so it did not surprise me that she was able to score better. She also eliminated the big score, which was a key to her success."
 
Walter tied Kat Kennedy of the University of British Columbia for first place at the event, as she played the course at even-par overall. She had the third-most birdies at the event with seven, and combined that with 23 pars among her 36 holes of play.
 
Through seven rounds over four events in the fall season, Walter leads the Yellowjackets with a scoring average of 77.7. Her 72 last week was also two strokes away from tying the MSUB individual round record of 70, held by Kalli (Stanhope) Allen.
 
This is her second-career GNAC Player of the Week honor, as she also earned the award in the spring of her freshman season on April 6, 2015. She is the third MSUB golfer to win player of the week honors this fall, joining teammates Bailee Dexter and Connor Miele (Oct. 10).
 
MSUB concluded its fall schedule with the WWU Invite, and will resume play in the spring of 2017 at the Beaver-Jacket Invite in Las Vegas on March 10-11.