McLean County Times

Illinois State University's freshman golfer, Elise Fennell, achieved a significant milestone by earning a tournament medalist honor at the West Lafayette event. Fennell's score of 209 over three rounds is tied for the second-lowest in the program's history and marks the lowest ever for a Redbird freshman. Her performance comprised scores of 68, 70, and 71, surpassing the previous freshman record set by Jessica Jolly.

Fennell joins the ranks of former Redbird freshmen who have achieved medalist honors, including Brianna Cooper, Samantha Richdale, Suzanne Walker, Jane Hawkins, Karen Schulthes, and Pam Tyska. She opened strongly with a birdie and seven pars and maintained her form throughout the 54 holes, achieving three under-par rounds, a record for freshmen within the program.

The Redbirds secured fourth place out of the 16 teams, accumulating a total score of 882. Illinois took the team victory with a score of 875, narrowly followed by Denver and Cincinnati. Other participating teams included Minnesota, South Alabama, Princeton, Purdue, Northern Illinois, and others.

Jinyoung Yun, another Redbird, tied for 20th place, ending with a 224 score. Jessica Jolly and Lory Paradis both tied for 33rd, while Morgan Jones ranked 40th. Playing as an individual, Dani Grace Schrock concluded the tournament tied for 73rd.

The Redbirds are set to compete next at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship on April 14 at Annbriar Golf Course. More information can be found on GoRedbirds.com and through their official app.