RIO VERDE, Ariz. – After kicking off the spring season at the beginning of the month in West Palm, Florida, the Illinois State women's golf team opened play in their second tournament of 2026 at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational.
Alex Sparrow paced the Redbirds with a four-over par 76, and she is tied for 36th individually through one third of the tournament.
The Birds return to action tomorrow for the second of three days of the event.
Xavier and Wichita State are knotted atop the round one leaderboard with scores of 292, with tournament host Western Michigan just behind with a 296. Ball State (298), Kennesaw State (299), Bradley (300), Ohio (301), Bowling Green (303), Creighton (303), South Dakota (303), Missouri State (308), Oakland (308), Central Michigan (309), Loyola-Chicago (310), Utah Tech (311), and Akron (312) are just ahead of Illinois State and Butler, who are tied with a 315.
Sparrow had two birdies and 11 pars for her team-leading round, with Reagan Kennedy just behind with a five-over par 77. Kennedy had a birdie and 11 pars for her round, which has her tied for 52nd in the field.
Elise Fennell (79, tied for 60th) and Dani Grace Schrock (82, tied for 80th) were the third and fourth Redbird scorers on the day. Fennell had two birdies and nine pars, as Schrock had a birdie and eight pars. Reagan Braker was ISU's fifth golfer, and she is tied for 94th place with an 86.
