(LEXINGTON, Ky., March 17)—The McKendree University women's golf team placed 13^th out of 23 teams entered at the Saginaw Valley State University Spring Invitational that wrapped up Sunday afternoon. The 36-hole event – the first for the Bearcats' 2019 spring season -- took place at Kearney Hills Golf Links in Lexington, Ky.
 
The Bearcats opened with a round of 324 and finished the two-day tournament at 656. The University of Findlay took home top team honors at 608, which was 17 strokes in front of the runner-up squad from Tiffin University. McKendree had the third-lowest team score of any squad from the Great Lakes Valley Conference, trailing only Lewis University (fifth place) and the University of Southern Indiana (10^th place).
 
Individually, McKendree was led by senior Lacey McTall (Irvington, IL/Centralia). She finished in a tie for 25^th place among a field of 126 golfers. McTall posted an overall score of 159, which was 15-over par for the tournament. Sophomore Natasha Ainsley-Thomas (Northamptonshire, England/Sponne School) was close behind in a tie for 29^th place at 161. Ainsley-Thomas carded the lowest round of the weekend for the Bearcats with a 78 in Sunday's final round.
 
McKendree will return to the links March 30-31 at the Perry Park Spring Fling, hosted by Lewis University at Perry Park Golf Resort in Owenton, Ky.