May 3, 2011

HENDERSON, Nevada - All five Louisiana Tech golfers struggled during the second round of the 2011 Western Athletic Conference Championships Tuesday as the Bulldogs shot a team total of 22-over-par 310 to fall into a three-way tie for fourth place at Rio Secco Golf Course.

One day after shooting a seven-over-par 295 to trail leader Fresno State by only seven strokes, the Bulldog five-some totaled 18 bogeys, five double bogeys and two triple bogeys on their rounds while registering only seven birdies.

All nine teams shot higher totals during Tuesday's second round with New Mexico State recording the best 18 holes of the day with a seven-over-par 295.

New Mexico State is the 36-hole leader as the Aggies two-round total of 584 is nine strokes better than Fresno State (593) as the California-based Bulldogs shot 17-over-par 305.

San Jose State (597) is in third followed by LA Tech (605), Idaho (605), Nevada (605), Boise State (618), Utah State (619) and Hawaii (621).

Jonathan Bale and Jack Lempke both led the Bulldogs Tuesday with five-over-par totals of 77 followed by Clinton Shepard and Cody Santone with 78s. Sam Forgan shot an 81.

Bale is currently tied for 11th with a two-round total of 150 while Lempke and Shepard (151) are tied for 16th. Santone (155) is tied for 25th while Forgan (156) is tied for 28th.

Idaho's Damian Talles is the 36-hole leader with a two-round total of 139 while New Mexico State's Justin Shin fired the only under-par round of Tuesday with a 71.

Tech will head into Wednesday's final round looking to secure the program's best finish ever at the WAC Championships -- besting a fifth place finish in 2005 and 2010.