UH-Hilo’s Carli Shimokihara didn’t golf like a freshman Monday at the Pacific West Conference championships.
Shimokihara improved on her best previous college round by three strokes in Litchfield Park, Ariz., firing a 1-over 73 to sit three shots off the pace after the first round.
The Mililani High (Oahu) alum didn’t figure to be a prime candidate to contend on the leaderboard. Shimokihara entered with a stroke average of 85.50, and she’d posted more rounds in the 90s (five) than 70s (two), but she was steady on the back nine at Wigwam Golf Course. Shimokihara avoided a double-bogey on the day and recorded her second and third birdies of the round on Nos. 14 and 17.
While Shimokihara was alone third place, the Vulcans’ Jared Kinoshita and Andrew Otani were tied for seventh among a packed leaderboard in the men’s competition after cardings 1-over 73s.
Both tournaments will resume on Tuesday morning and wrap up on Wednesday, with 18 holes a day.
Three was the number of the day for the UHH men.
Kinoshita and Otani each made three birdies and were three shots off the lead, as were the Vulcans in third place.
UHH was leading through 17 holes at 3-over before an adventure on the 333-yard par-4 18. A par would have left, Otani, a freshman from Honolulu, in a tie for the lead, but he took a tripple-bogey. Kinoshita and Taylor Patrick (77) carded double-bogeys and Warren Miller (76) made bogey as the Vuls finished at 11-over 299.
Adam Chiya was the Vuls’ only survivor on 18 with a par, but his 79 didn’t count toward the team score.
Domincan held the lead at 296, two shots ahead of Hawaii Pacific.
Shimokihara helped the UHH women get to fourth place in the seven-team field at 31-over 306. No. 16 Academy of Art led at 12-over, which was three shots clear of Biola.
UHH senior Andi Igawa (78) was in 14th place, and fellow Waiakea alum Kaelyn Uchida shot 80. Kasumi Goto (88) and Keely Kitamura (89) also competed for the Vuls.
Biola’s Sami Ponor led at 70 and No. 8-ranked Alii Kim of Point Loma was at even-par, while defending champion Anahi Servin of Academy of Art came in at 75.
Notre Dame de Namur’s Caleb Keohokapu of NDNU and Domincan’s Nick Rivera topped the men’s leaderboard after 70s, HPU’s Zach Kwan was at 71 and three players were at even-par.
Shimokihara’s previous best round this season was a 76 on April 6 at the Mustang Intercollegiate.