KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Indiana State women's golf team captured their second tournament title of the 2012-2013 season and did so in a big way, winning the 2013 BSC Ann Rhoads Invitational by 21 strokes over one of the best Division III teams in the nation.

Indiana State opened the tournament with a round of 311 on Sunday to take first place, holding onto that position with a 321 Monday to finish with a 632 total.

“There was much more difficult weather today,” Greg Towne, Indiana State women's golf coach, said. “Emily, McCall and Reece made the All-Tournament team. It was kind of scrappy but the women hung in and got it done.”

McCall Christopher opened with a 77 on Sunday and came back with a 79 Monday to finish with a 156 total and second place. She was followed by teammates Reece Feducia and Emily Dixon who were third and fourth respectively. Feducia opened with a 75 Sunday but fell back with an 82 Monday for a 157 total while Dixon opened with a 78 and shot 81 Monday for a 159 total.

It was the second career top five finish for Christopher and her second best career finish after tying for first at the end of regulation play of the 2011 Payne Stewart Memorial. Feducia missed the fall campaign but played well in her first outing of her senior season to capture her sixth top five finish of her career. Dixon now has three top five finishes with two coming this season. She was second at the Cougar Classic, an event that the Sycamores captured the team title.

Christina Beyerl made the biggest move on the team during Monday's final round. The senior shot an 85 on Sunday to enter Monday's round tied for 21st. Beyerl came back with a 79 on Monday to finish just outside the top 10 as she tied for 11th with a 164 total. Gina Della Camera rounded out the Sycamore competitors and tied for 17th. Camera shot an 81 in Sunday's opening round but backed up a little Monday with an 86 to finish with a 167 total.

Harding University's Brittany Marquez was the individual medalist as she shot a 71 on Sunday and survived an 81 Monday to finish with a 152 total. Methodist's Kelsie Carralero tied Dixon for fourth at 159 with Harding's Emily Plyler and Montevallo's Morgan Natale tied for sixth (160), Methodist's Jennifer Sullivan was eighth (161), Jackson State's Stevie Booker ninth (162), and Catawba's Leslie Long rounded out the top 10 (163).

Methodist University and Harding University tied for second with 653 totals while the University of Montevallo was fourth at 667. Birmingham Southern finished fifth (675) with Catawba College sixth (694), Jackson State University seventh (704), Spring Hill College eighth (731), and the University of New Orleans rounded out the team standings in ninth (742).

“Hopefully the weather will break soon in Terre Haute and we can get out and get some short game work in,” Towne said. “I think we improved significantly from last year. We still have a lot to do but it was a good start.”

The tournament was being played on the par 72, 5,802 yard Oxmoor Valley golf Course in Birmingham, Ala., which is part of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail.

Indiana State will be off until they compete in the SMSU Spring Invitational at the LPGA International Legends Course in Daytona Beach, Fla., March 14-15.