BARTONVILLE, Ill. – Four Redbirds are inside of the top-20, as ISU was nearly finished with their second round when play was halted because of darkness. Illinois State junior Alex Sparrow is the leader at the end of the first day and is three shots over par with one hole left in the first day.
Bradley (+39) and Illinois State (+40) are battling for the top spot in the field as Bradley has seven holes remaining among its top four players, while ISU has six. Idaho State (+46), Oakland (+49), Illinois Springfield (+63), Lindenwood (+63), Eastern Illinois (+73), Prairie View A&M (+91), and Evansville (+104) close out the teams in the nine-team field.
Sparrow has a one-stroke lead on the remainder of the field, and is three shots over par. In her first round she finished with a three-over 75 using two birdies and 11 pars. She is at even par in the second round with five birdies and eight pars, and one hole remaining to play in the round. She is averaging 4.50 strokes per par five holes (-3), which is the best in the tournament. Additionally, her par-three scoring average of 3.00 (E) is tied for the top spot. Her seven birdies are also tied for the most through the first day of play.
Freshman Cora Hirz has two holes remaining in her second round, and at +10, she is tied for seventh overall. She carded a two-over-par 74 over the opening 18 holes, as she had three birdies and 10 pars. She has added two more birdies in her second round, while also carding five birdies. She is second in the tournament in par four scoring (4.17) and has the fourth-most birdies (5) in the tournament.
Cynthia Lang, also a freshman, is tied for 13th with two holes left in her second round. She had two birdies and 10 pars in her five-over-par 77 opening round, and she added a birdie and nine pars 16 holes into her second round.
Reagan Kennedy had excitement in her day, and with one hole remaining in the second round she is +15 and is tied for 19th. She opened her day with a birdie and nine pars for an opening-round 80 and had eight pars in her second round before carding her second-ever hole-in-one on the 166-yard, par-three 13th hole. Her par-three scoring average (3.00) is tied for the best in the tournament.
The teams will finish their second rounds tomorrow morning, and then complete the remainder of the tournament immediately after.
