KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
PEORIA, Ill. – It was not quite the day that the Sycamores had hoped for but the Indiana State women's golf team did tie for fourth at the Bradley Spring Invitational with four players finishing in the top 20 of the event. The tournament wrapped up Sunday at WeaverRidge Golf Course.
“It was a disappointing day,” Greg Towne, Indiana State women's golf coach, said. “We had a difficult time in the bunkers and made a mess of a few holes.”
Towne believes that the limited outdoor practice was a factor in the Sycamores play at Bradley.
“We will get the bunker play ironed out once we spend some time outside over the new few days,” Towne said. “We are going to hit it pretty hard at practice and be ready for Porta Cima in a couple of weeks.”
Porta Cima is the site of the 2013 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Golf Championship and the next competition for the Sycamores.
Indiana State senior Reece Feducia led the way the Sycamores as she recorded her second top five finish in three events this spring, placing fifth at the Bradley Invitational with a career low 54-hole total of 233. It was her 10th top 20 finish of her Indiana State career as she posted rounds of 79-78-76 over the two-day invitational.
Sophomore Amanda Smith continued her fine play with her fifth top 20 finish in seven events this year as she was just outside the top 10 in finishing 11th with a 54-hole total of 242. Smith opened with an 85 but fought back with a 79 and 78 to close strong.
“Reece played excellent and Amanda's is consistent but is ready to become better with her short game,” Towne said.
Sophomore Erinn Sutton recorded her first top 20 finish as a Sycamore as she fired a career low round of 78 Sunday to finish with a career 54-hole low of 243 and tie for 12th. Sutton opened with an 83 and 82 in the first two rounds, respectively, on Saturday.
Also finishing in the top 20 was junior McCall Christopher, who notched her sixth top 20 finish of the season and 14th of her career as she posted a 54-hole total of 247 which put her in 16 th place. Christopher had back-to-back rounds of 83 on Saturday and lowered that in the final round Sunday with an 81.
Three other Sycamores were close to a top 20 finish including senior Emily Dixon who had rounds of 86, 84, and 81 to finish with a 251 total and in 21st place. Senior Christina Beyerl and sophomore Gina Della Camera finished tied for 22nd as each posted a 54-hole total of 253. Beyerl had rounds of 84-87-82 while Della Camera 88-83-82.
Bradley won the team title of their own tournament with a 949 total with Western Illinois finishing second at 954 and South Carolina-Upstate third at 960. Indiana State and Northern Iowa tied for fourth at 971 while Illinois-Chicago finished sixth at 1033, Bradley-Red seventh at 1040 and Western Illinois-Gold eighth at 1042.
Bradley's Danielle Lemek, the top golfer in the Valley this year, was the medalist with a 223 total. Taylor Barnes of USC was second (230) with WIU's Kristi Tschudin third (231), UNI's Kaylee Benson fourth (232), and Indiana State's Feducia fifth (233).
