YORBA LINDA, Calif. -- Cal State Fullerton sophomore Tisha Alyn Abrea finished in a tie for fourth with a 14-over-par 230 and the Titans slipped to eighth place overall as a team to close out the 2013 Gold Rush Presented by Farmers Insurance and hosted by Long Beach State on Tuesday afternoon at the Yorba Linda Country Club.
Abrea, who finished the first 36 holes in a tie for fifth, shot a 5-over-par 77 in Tuesday's final round to finish six shots off the lead of individual champion, Raychelle Santos of Gonzaga, who finished the tournament at 8-over-par (224).
It is Abrea's best finish of the season, besting her tie for sixth at the Rose City Challenge on Oct. 1-2. She was the only Titan to finish in the top 25 as senior Deidre Crabtree, competing as an individual, came the closest after finishing in a tie for 27th at 25-over-par (241).
The Titans, who started the day in sixth place, slipped two spots with a final-round 323, edging out BYU by three shots overall, but trailing the host 49ers by 49 shots as Long Beach State finished at 53-over-par to claim the title by 10 strokes over Gonzaga. Fullerton's finish ended a string of five consecutive tournaments in the top four.
Other Titan finishers included sophomore Makayla Mier, who was tied for 37th with a 28-over 244, and sophomore Seri Lee, who was tied for 42nd with a 29-over 245. Senior Nicole Rivera was tied for 54th with a 35-over-par 251 and senior Neomi Hunt was tied for 58th with a 37-over-par 253 -- both competing for only the second time this season. Freshman Dakota Brown, also competing as an individual, was tied for 62nd with a 44-over-par 260 in her 2012-13 season debut.
Cal State Fullerton remains local for its first, and only, home tournament of the season next week, joining the Titans' men's team for the 2013 Folino Invitational Presented by the Automobile Club of Southern California on Feb. 17-19 at the Industry Hills Golf Club.
Nine men's teams and 12 women's teams will compete for the title in the third-annual event named for philanthropist, Paul Folino, who is the primary benefactor behind the return of the men's and women's golf programs to Cal State Fullerton in 2009-10 after a hiatus of more than two decades.
The 54-hole event will be played over three days with the women competing on the par 71 Babe Didrikson Zaharias ("Babe") Course and the men playing on the par 72 Eisenhower ("Ike") Course.
