Freshman Rikke Falsner fired a one-over-par 73 Sunday (Sept. 26) to lead the Missouri State women's golf team on the opening day of the Golfweek Conference Challenge in Vail, Colo.  The Bears are 14th in the 18-team field after shooting 314 on the first day of the tournament, which features one representative from each of the top 18 conferences in the country and six of the top 25 teams nationally from a year ago.

Playing in just her second collegiate tournament, Falsner is tied for 17th in the 90-player field.  Junior Catherine Dolan was next for the Bears, shooting 77 to earn a tie for 45th place.  Sophomore Emma Clegg is tied for 67th after carding an 81, while junior Kelsey Welber and sophomore Hermine Greyling shot 83's and are tied for 81st.  Virginia's Brittany Altomare and UNLV's Therese Koelbaek are tied atop the leader after notching 69's on the 6247-yard Fazio Course at Red Sky Ranch.

Tulane and Virginia are tied for the team lead after shooting 287 with Arizona next at 292, UC Davis 293 and UNLV rounding out the top five with 294.  Denver (296) is in sixth place, followed by Pepperdine (297), Minnesota (298), San Jose State (302), Chattanooga (303), Tennessee (304), Texas A&M (307), Harvard (310), MSU, Campbell (317), Coastal Carolina (322), Sacramento State (325) and Central Arkansas (329).

Second round play begins at 10 a.m. MDT; the Bears begin teeing off at 10:45.