NORMAL, Ill. - The Saint Mary's golf team sits in seventh place after 18 holes of play at the Illinois Wesleyan Kathy Niepagen Spring Fling.

 

The host Titans, who are currently ranked No. 19 in the Mizuno Women's Golf Coaches Association Top 25 poll, hold a two-stroke lead over No. 11 Washington University in St. Louis (302) as Illinois Wesleyan shot a 300. No. 16 St. Catherine is in third place with a 308. The Belles shot a 326 on day one of the event. 

 

Lexi Onsrud from Illinois Wesleyan is atop the individual leaderboard after day one with a three-under par 69. Sydney Kuo from Washington University in St. Louis (72) and Rachel Zhang from Rose-Hulman (73) round out the top three individual rounds from Saturday.

 

Erin Bennett led the way for Saint Mary's with a five-over par 77 as she holds a share of 10th place overall. Bennett was one-over on the front nine with a birdie on par three No. 8. She finished the round with 11 pars and no score above a bogey. Bennett was in the top ten in the field in par three scoring, par four scoring, and pars.

 

Sydney Hruskoci, Haley Angel, and Katherine Hopkins all shot rounds of 83 to wrap up the team score as the trio shares 37th place with five other competitors. Hruskoci shot a team-best two-over on the back nine with three pars and two birdies - one on par four No. 10 and another on par three No. 13. Hruskoci was one-over on par three holes and three-over on par fives. Angel had a birdie on par five No. 11 and finished the round with seven pars. The sophomore was one-over on par five holes. Hopkins bounced back from a pair of double bogeys early in the round as she went four-over par over her final 11 holes of play. The junior was one-over on par three holes in the opening round. Isa Patacsil shot an 86 and is tied for 51st as the fifth golfer in the lineup for the Belles. She tallied eight pars on the day. 

 

Joanna James and Nani Patacsil are both competing as individuals at the tournament for Saint Mary's. James carded a round of 86 with nine pars and is tied for 51st. Nani Patacsil was a stroke behind with an 87 and is tied for 56th after collecting six pars and no single-hole scores higher than a double bogey.

 

Round two of the Kathy Niepagen Spring Fling is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m. CDT at Ironwood Golf Course in Normal, Illinois on Sunday.