The Missouri Western women’s golf team holds an 18 stroke lead after day one of the Bearcat Fall Golf Classic hosted by Northwest Missouri State University. The Griffons fired 335 on a windy day at the par-72 Mozingo Lake Golf Course. Host school Northwest Missouri State sits in second with a 353 while Rockhurst is third with a 355.

William Jewell and Ottawa sit in fourth and fifth with a 363 and 414 respectively. Graceland University did not qualify for team scoring as Carolina Fonseca and Nicolette Westmoland withdrew from competition.

Griffon golfer Natalie Bird sits in a tie for second with Northwest’s Cassie Lowell and William Jewell’s Chloe Kittle firing 81’s. The leader of the event is Emily Gonderinger of Rockhurst University firing a round one of 80.

Kristen Cooley sits in fifth with an 82 while Shelby Stone and Casi Webb sit in sixth and a tie for eighth with 85 and 87 respectively. Darcy Smith sits in a tie for 16th with a 91. Individually Britni Nikes, Sarah Campbell and Lauryn Huske Davies finished with rounds of 92, 96 and 96 respectively.

The final round of the classic will be a shotgun start, beginning at 9 am on Friday morning.

— MWSU Sports Information —