The Illinois State women’s golf team finished the first day of the Ozarks National Invitational in 10th place on March 23, led by Elise Fennell’s four-over-par score of 76. The tournament is being held in Hollister, Missouri, with two rounds remaining for the Redbirds.
Missouri State leads after the opening round with a team score of 303. South Dakota, UTEP, Indiana State, and Texas A&M Corpus Christi complete the top five teams. Illinois State posted a total score of 323, trailing behind West Florida (314), South Dakota State (315), Oklahoma City (318), and Merrimack (320). Northern Iowa, Lindenwood, Drury, and McLennan Community College follow ISU to round out the field of fourteen schools.
Fennell’s performance included two birdies and twelve pars and placed her tied for tenth individually. Reagan Kennedy shot a seven-over-par 79 with one birdie and ten pars to tie for twenty-eighth place. Alex Sparrow finished nine over par at 81 with two birdies and eight pars. Senior Dani Grace Schrock carded an eighty-seven with nine pars during her round. Reagan Braker recorded ISU’s second hole-in-one in as many tournaments along with five pars for an eighty-nine.
According to the official website, Illinois State Redbirds benefits from the Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund to support competitiveness and recruitment efforts. The Redbirds also utilize facilities such as the OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center for student-athlete preparation according to their official site. The athletic program is linked to Illinois State University according to its official website.
Illinois State competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions according to its official website. News updates, schedules, rosters, and fan resources are available through their online platforms as reported by their official site.
The Redbirds will return for the second round tomorrow morning as they look to improve their standing over three days of competition.
