PACIFIC GROVE, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's golf team, ranked No. 8 in the country held on to edge third-ranked WashU by two strokes to win the UC Santa Cruz Invitational on Saturday and Sunday at the Pacific Grove Colf Club. 

Pomona-Pitzer, ranked No. 5 in the nation, was in third place nine shots back, while No. 19 Redlands was fourth 21 shots behind the Athenas. 

Stella Cheng was second on the indivdual leaderboard at +3 for the two rounds, while Jessie Kong and Esther Lee tied for third at +7. Amy Beanblossom of WashU was the individual medalist at +1. 

WashU held a one stroke lead after the first round on Saturday with a 289, who shot ahead of CMS at 290, with Redlands third at 293. Conditions were tougher on Sunday pushing scores up, but CMS was able to finish with a 309, three shots ahead of WashU's 312. 

On Saturday, Cheng had an eagle on the par-four ninth hole as part of an even-par 71 round. On Sunday, she closed out with a birdie on No. 18 to help CMS secure the title. 

Lee also shot even par on Saturday, shooting -1 on the front nine with a birdie on No. 9, and closing out with another birdie on No. 18. Kong was +2 on Saturday and had a key stretch of three birdies on four holes on the back nine on Sunday to help give the Athenas some separation. Ella Chiu was +4 on Saturday, as the Athenas were +6 as a team.

CMS will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday for the second SCIAC regular season tournament at Antelope Valley Golf Club in Palmdale, the final tune-up before the SCIAC Championships in late April.