RIO VERDE, Ariz. – Behind a strong performance – including a one-under round from sophomore Avalon Woodward, the Illinois State Redbirds closed the opening 18 holes in fifth place in the 18-team field at the 2022 Rio Verde Invitational.
Kennesaw State leads the field with a one-under 286 in the first round, as KSU has a five-stroke lead on the rest of the field. Xavier (291) is second in the field, followed by Missouri State (296), Cal Baptist (297), and the Redbirds with their 300. Rounding out the 18 teams in the tournament include Eastern Michigan (303), Loyola (304), Bradley (306), South Dakota (308), Ball State (309), Central Michigan (310), Wichita State (313), Akron (313), Oakland (313), Butler (314), Western Michigan (322), Bowling Green (324), and Ohio (330).
Woodward's round has her in a tie for fourth place individually, while Ali Schrock is tied for 12th with a two-over 74. Maria Toledo Bailey (76, tied for 27th), Vinisha Gunaseelan (79, tied for 48th), and Kehler Koss (80, tied for 56th) rounded out the five Redbirds in the field.
Woodward opened her day on the par-five 17th hole and started with a birdie. After a pair of pars, she traded a bogey for a birdie, and another bogey put her a stroke over par. After two more pars she went on a run with three consecutive birdies to drop her to two shots under par. She closed her day with a bogey and three consecutive pars to end the day with the season-low, one-under 71.
Schrock, a native of Pontiac, Illinois, opened her round on the par-three 16th hole and stumbled early with a double-bogey and a bogey mixed in with a par over her first three holes. She rebounded in a big way with four consecutive birdies to drop her aggregate score to one shot under par. After a seven-hole stretch where she was four shots over par, she birdied the par-five 12th hole to close the day with a two-over 74 in the first round.
Toledo Bailey ended her round with a four-over 76, as she opened her day with a par, bogey, and birdie, to stay at even par through three holes. Over her final 15 holes she had 11 pars and a quartet of bogeys, finishing with her round which puts her 27th in the tournament.
Gunaseelan had 13 pars on her round, to go with five over-par scores to finish as the teams final counting score with a 79, while Koss had a birdie and 10 pars, in addition to seven over-par scores for her opening-round 80.
The Redbirds return to action tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. as the 'Birds take the round with Ball State and Bradley on holes 10-12 in the shotgun start round.
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