BARTONVILLE, Ill. – With three players finishing inside of the top 10 in the tournament, the Illinois State Redbirds placed third at the 2026 Coyote Creek Classic, hosted at Coyote Creek Golf Course in Bartonville, Illinois.
Alex Sparrow was ISU's top finisher in the tournament, as she tied for fourth, with Cynthia Lang tying for sixth, and Reagan Kennedy in eighth place.
Idaho State and Bradley tied for the top spot with a team score of 929, while the Redbirds were just four shots behind with 933. Oakland (936), Lindenwood (961), Illinois-Springfield (969), Eastern Illinois (987), Prairie View A&M (997), and Evansville (1045) rounded out the nine schools in the tournament field.
Kennedy's even-par final round of 72 was the Redbirds' best round of the day, as the senior had three birdies and a dozen pars, as she finished with a 233. She had an average score of 3.00 on par 3's in the tournament, which was tied for the lowest average score in the field.
Freshman Lang finished the tournament with a three-over 75 in the final round, as she had two birdies and 12 pars, finishing with a tournament score of 232. She averaged 4.25 strokes on the par-four holes in the tournament, tied for the third-most in the field, while her 32 pars are the fifth-most in the field.
Cora Hirz – also a freshman – had a nine-over 81 in the final round and finished with a 237 which saw her finish 15th overall. She had a birdie and nine pars in her final round. She had seven birdies in the tournament, which was tied for the fourth-most among the golfers in the tournament, while her par-four scoring average of 4.25 was tied for the third-lowest in the field.
Sparrow closed the tournament with an 11-over 83 with a birdie and eight pars, finishing with a 231 over the 54 holes. Her par-three scoring average of 3.00 was tied for the best in the field, as her eight birdies during the three rounds was the third-most.
Xuan (Hazel) Gao closed the tournament with a final-round score of 88, finishing with a 267, while Reagan Braker – playing as an individual – finished her final round with an 82, and a 264 over the 54 holes.
The Redbirds are back in action next Monday and Tuesday, as the Birds travel to Jonesboro, Arkansas, to compete in the Lady Red Wolves Classic on October 12 and 13.
