TROPHY CLUB, Texas – Midwestern State junior Kendra Whittley fired a 1-under-par 71 to grab the first round lead individually and place the Mustangs in second as a team at the 2012 Firestone Lone Star Conference Championships at the Whitworth Course of the Trophy Club Country Club.
 
The Mustangs stand at 302 after the opening round, just three strokes behind leader Tarleton State and 13 in front of third place Texas A&M-Commerce on the team leaderboard.
 
Whittley, a junior from Wall, started the day by going 3-over on the front nine.  But she came alive on the back side of the par 72, 5,864-yard circuit.
 
Going birdie-birdie on 10 and 11, Whittley stood at 1-over until giving up another stroke with a bogie on 14.  She got that stroke back with a birdie on the 15.
 
But she made her move 16, recording the only eagle in women's action to jump to 1-under.  She parred the last two holes to finish at 71 for her best round of the season and second-best of her career.  She had a 70 in the opening round of last season's LSC Championship.

Junior Taylor Klutts sits in a tie for sixth just three strokes back after a 2-over-74.  She posted one birdie, a bogey and suffered a double-bogey, while shooting par golf on the other 15 holes.
 
Freshman Brenna Moore struggled in her first LSC Championship round, suffering six bogies before chalking up a birdie on her final hole for a 5-over-77.  She still is just six strokes off the pace in a tie for 12th.
 
Junior Lindsey Burkhart is tied for 17th after posting an 8-over-80.  Junior Lauren Romines carded an 83 in championship play.

The Mustangs play in the final groupings for Tuesday's championship round with Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce starting a 9:20 at the Trophy Club.
 
  

Firestone LSC Championships
Trophy Club Country Club -- Whitworth Course Trophy Club, Texas Par-72, 5,864 yards
Team Leaderboard
Place	Team	Round Scores	Total	To Par
1	Tarleton State	299	299	+11
2	Midwestern State	302	302	+14
3	Texas A&M-Commerce	315	315	+27
4	Cameron	316	316	+28
	West Texas A&M	316	316	+28
6	Angelo State	318	318	+30
7	Incarnate Word	320	320	+32
8	Texas A&M-Kingsville	347	347	+59
Individual Leaderboard
Place	Player, Team	Round Scores	Total	To Par
1	Kendra Whittley, Midwestern State	71	71	-1
2	Flower Castillo, Incarnate Word	72	72	E
3	Jacqueline Lau, Tarleton State	73	73	+1
	Chantry McMahan, Texas A&M-Commerce	73	73	+1
	Alisa White, West Texas A&M	73	73	+1
6	Taylor Klutts, Midwestern State	74	74	+2
	Courtney Rutledge, Angelo State	74	74	+2
8	Sharon Lau, Tarleton State	75	75	+3
	Joana De Sa Pereira, Incarnate Word	75	75	+3
	Katy Ward, Tarleton State	75	75	+3
Midwestern State Scorecard
2	Midwestern State	302	302	+14
1	Kendra Whittley	71	71	-1
6t	Taylor Klutts	74	74	+2
12t	Brenna Moore	77	77	+5
17t	Lindsay Burkhart	80	80	+8
30t	Lauren Romines	83	83	+11