KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Senior McCall Christopher and junior Amanda Smith finished in the top 10 as the Indiana State golf team finished second at the Saluki Invitational which concluded today at Hickory Ridge Golf Course.
“We obviously struggled in the four and five positions today,” Greg Towne, Indiana State women's golf coach said. “We really just did not play decisively which we are going to work on.”
The second place finish is Indiana State's best at the Saluki Invitational since the Sycamores won the championship in 2010. Despite the finish, Towne does see the need for more work.
“We are going to get some rounds in finally and I expect some solid improvement,” Towne said. “Individually I was pleased with several of the performances. I think a lot of the pieces are going to come together in the next few weeks.”
Christopher recorded her best finish at the Saluki Invitational as she followed up her opening round 76 with a 77 in Monday's final round to finish at 153. She was tied for sixth after the first round. The senior has had 19 top 20 finishes during her career (seven in the top 10) and this was her fourth finish inside top five of a tournament.
Smith signaled that she has returned to the form that served her well in a fourth place finish at the Butler Invitational as she fired a 77 Monday after an opening round 78 to finish with a 155 total and tied for sixth. The junior was tied for 13th after the opening round and moved up with her steady play. This was Smiths' 11th top 20 finish and the sixth time she has been in the top 10.
Another Sycamore whose steady play moved her up the standings was junior Erinn Sutton who was tied for 30th after an opening round 80. She came back with a 79 in Monday's final round to finish tied for 15th. It was Sutton's fourth top 20 finish of her career and the third this season.
Also competing for Indiana State was junior Gina Della Camera who carded a 77 in Sunday's opening round but struggled in Monday's final round as she posted a 91 to finish at 168 and tied for 37th. Freshman Megan Berube had an 84 in the first round and 87 in the second to finish with a 171 and tied for 48th.
Playing in her first collegiate tournament was sophomore Shelby Williams who opened with a 96 and posted a 94 in Monday's final round to finish at 190 and tied for 79th.
Indiana State had a 311 team total after the opening round and finished Monday's second round with a 320 to finish at 631 and second overall. Southern Illinois went wire-to-wire to win the team title of their own tournament with a 617 with Chicago State placing third at 638. Evansville was fourth (643) followed by Western Illinois (649), IUPUI (649), SIU Edwardsville (660), Washington University-St. Louis (660), Loyola (664), Southern Illinois “B” (670), IPFW (670), Nebraska-Omaha (684), John A. Logan CC (708), and Rend Lake CC (732).
Evansville's Kayla Katterhenry cooled off a bit from her record setting 68 in the opening round but still came away with medalist honors after shooting a 78 in Monday's final round to finish at 147. IUPUI's Ana Fernandez de Mes had a 71 in the opening round and came back with a 77 Monday to finish at 148 for second while Southern Illinois' Kris Grimes carded rounds of 73 and 79 for a 152 total and third overall.
Indiana State will compete at the Bradley Spring Invitational on April 5 and 6 before wrapping up the regular season by hosting their own Spring Invitational at the Terre Haute Country Club on April 13 and 14.
