DENVER -Grand Canyon's Vinnie Murphy and NM State's Dominique Galloway have been named Western Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Golfers of the Month, respectively, for October.
Murphy, a senior from Edgewood, Wash. (Puyallup HS), led the way in the month of October, winning two of three tournaments he entered as well helping the Lopes win a pair of team titles. He opened the month with a 5-under-par 211 to win the UMKC Bill Ross Intercollegiate by three strokes. The Lopes also took the team title by six strokes over Kansas City. Murphy followed that up with a 14-under-par 199 at the NM State Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate as he ran away with the title by five strokes, using three rounds in the 60s. The Lopes also earned the team title in Las Cruces, holding off NM State by 16 strokes. Including a 14th-place finish at the Visit Stockton Pacific Invitational, Murphy leads the WAC with a 69.80 stroke average in the fall, including a WAC-best 69.00 stroke average in October.
Galloway, a sophomore from Rio Rancho, N.M. (Cleveland HS), led the WAC in with a 71.83 scoring average in the month of October. She started the month with a second-place finish at the NM State Aggie Invitational as she improved as the tournament progressed, using rounds of 76, 71 and 69 to finish just three strokes out of the lead. She followed that up with another top-15 performance, finishing in a tie for 13th among 95 golfers at the Las Vergas Collegiate Showdown. Her best round came on the second 18, firing a 3-under-par 69. On the season, she leads the WAC with a 71.58 stroke average through 12 rounds.
Other men's nominees: Kansas City's Francois Lagraulet had a pair of top-10 finishes and another in the top-20 and posted the fifth-lowest round in school history with a 65 at the Jackrabbit Invitational … NM State's Tadhg Campbell held a 70.83 stroke average on the month, earning a pair of top-10 performances for the Aggies … Seattle U's Joe Harvie averaged 73.1 for the Redhawks in a trio of tournaments in California.
Other women's nominees: Grand Canyon's Deanna Salvatori led the Lopes with a pair of top-10 performances, taking fifth at the Pat Lesser Harbottle Invitational and seventh at the Rainbow Wahine Invitational … Kansas City's Chandler Gallagher average 73.5 for the Roos, finishing in the top-15 in all three tournaments she entered … Seattle U's Kimberlee Tottori posted identical 21st-place finishes in each of her tournaments on the month … Utah Valley's Ana Raga twice finished in the top-15 to pace the Wolverines in the month of October.