Yuan poised to make move

HOLLISTER, Calif., –Senior Maggie Yuan is within striking distance for a top finish after shooting a second round 4-over 76 at the West Coast Conference Championships on Tuesday.

While Yuan dropped from first to second, she is just two shots behind tournament leader, Alina Ching of Pepperdine.

“Maggie is playing really well right now," BYU coach Carrie Roberts said.

Yuan has finished in the top 20 in seven of eight tournaments this year, but has not captured an individual title since her sophomore year.

Freshman Lauren Atkinson made the largest jump up the leaderboard for the Cougars, going from 28th to 21st. Atkinson struggled on the first nine holes, shooting 3-over, but birdied two of her last three to finish with a 4-over 76.

"Lauren was a nice brightspot today," Roberts said. "That was a great score she put up."

The Cougars are currently in sixth, 29 strokes behind first-place Pepperdine, but feel they can make a push during the final round.

“We need to go out and work on our confidence," Roberts said. "It's the same thing its been, we need to work on our mental game and we'll do fine."

The WCC championship concludes on Wednesday with the final 18 holes.