March 10, 2013
Rio Verde Invitational - Final Results
RIO VERDE, Ariz. - Despite heavy rain and hail on Friday, the golf action picked back up on Saturday and Sunday for a shortened 36-hole Rio Verde Invitational. The Missouri State women's golf team made the most of its trip to Arizona and scored a top-10 team finish at the White Wing Golf Course.
Northern Arizona took home the team title with two athletes in the top three. NAU's Savana Bezdicek earned medalist honors, shooting 71-73--144 on the weekend, while her teammate Stephanie Kim tied for runner-up with a 70-75--145. Xavier (2nd) tied with UALR (t-3rd) for the low-round on Sunday (296) as the rest of the field was unable to crack 300.
Missouri State (305-306--611) was +33 on the weekend to finish ninth out of 17 teams. Edging the Bears for seventh by two strokes in the team race was conference foe Wichita State (303-306--609).
Pacing the Bears was sophomore Megan Thompson, who currently ranks fifth in the MVC player rankings. Thompson finished seventh overall after registering a season best and the third-lowest mark (72) of any golfer during Sunday's final round. Her 76-72--148 was just four strokes off of medalist Savana Bezdicek.
Upperclassman Emma Clegg was tied for fifth following the first round yesterday, but a 7-over-79 on Sunday morning slowed the senior from Lancashire, England from placing top 10. Clegg finished the tournament tied for 17th with 72-79--151, just under her average of 76.35 on the year.
Sophomore Chiara Citterio shot 78 both rounds to rank third among Bears' golfers. She finished in a tie for 43rd with a score of 156.
Rounding out the Missouri State contingent was freshmen Ariel Tidwell (t-62nd), who carded an 81-77--158 and Megan Furnish (t-74th), who recorded a 79-82--161.
The next tournament on the schedule for the Missouri State women's golf team is the UALR Classic in Hot Springs, Ark., March 25-26.
