LONG BEACH, Calif.- Idaho junior Sophie Hausmann carded six birdies Tuesday, to defend her individual title at The Gold Rush and claim the third win of her career. Hausmann fired a 4-under 68 in the final round, finishing the tournament 4-under and winning by three strokes. Her performance led the Vandals to a tie for fifth place in the team standings.

"Sophie has been in this situation before and she was determined to win," said head coach Lisa Johnson. "She come out strong and made birdies early. She hit a lot of greens and her only bogeys came on three putts."

Entering the final round trailing by three strokes, Hausmann birdied her first two holes to pull within one. On her eighth hole, Hausmann took the lead for good. She went on to post the lowest single-round score of the tournament.

"Today's round showcased Sophie's growth as a player," Johnson said. "She was ready to go. I didn't help her with a single golf shot today. I checked in with her a few times and she didn't need help. She was feeling goo and she was confident. That's where you want every player to get. She didn't back down or play tentative at all and the result was a decisive win."

Freshman Valeria Patino was steady throughout the tournament, recording a third-round 76 after back-to-back rounds of 75 Monday. Patino finished in a tie for 22nd at 226 (10-over). Senior Kendall Gray joined Patino at 10-over to tie for 22nd. Gray saved her best for last with a 2-over 73 Tuesday, highlighted by five birdies, to climb 14 spots on the leaderboard.

The Vandals will return to action Feb. 26-27, at The Rebel Beach in Las Vegas.

Team Result
T-5. 899 (35-over; 303-298-298)

Individual Results
1. Sophie Hausmann 212 (4-under; 75-69-68)
T-22. Valeria Patino 226 (10-over; 75-75-76)
T-22. Kendall Gray 226 (10-over; 76-77-73)
T-53. Michelle Kim 235 (19-over; 77-77-81)
77. Danika Palm 249 (33-over; 79-87-83)