FORT SMITH, Ark. – No. 24-ranked Midwestern State claimed the 18th tournament title in the history of the program as Mary Kerr, Romane Lacoste, Kodi Nolen and Alli Reily all finished among the top six at the Hardscrabble Invitational. 

The Mustangs finished 54-over 899 to defeat Arkansas Tech by five strokes after shooting 15-over 299 in the final round at Hardscrabble Country Club on Tuesday.

Kerr was the runner up to Ellen Spigner of Arkansas Tech on the individual leaderboard. Kerr shot a 3-over 73 in the final round and finished five strokes behind Spigner, who lifted the trophy after shooting 5-over 215 for the tournament.

Kerr played consistently well throughout the event and finished with eight birdies on eight different holes throughout the 54-hole event. Kerr shot 3-over 73 in the final round, which is the same score the sophomore from Friendswood, Texas, carded in the first round on Monday. She shot 4-over in the second round.

Lacoste played the best round of the tournament as she shot an astounding 4-under 66 in the final round and finished in third place at 12-over 222. Lacoste, who won the tournament while playing with Northwestern Oklahoma State last season, finished with seven birdies over the final 18 holes.  The junior from France had one birdie through the first two rounds and started the final day of the tournament in 19th place. 

Nolen birdied the 18th hole on Tuesday to finish in fifth place at 18-over 228 after shooting an 8-over 78 in the third round.  The senior from Midlothian, Texas, finished the tournament with seven birdies, including one on the par-5 third hole and another on the par-5 11th hole in the final round. Nolen carded four birdies in her second round on Monday.

Reily also birdied hole No. 11 in the third round and closed with an 8-over 78 to finish in a three-way for sixth place at 19-over 229. The senior from Pottsboro, Texas, reeled off five consecutive pars to begin her final round.

Kaetie Samuels birdied hole No. 6 and started her final round 1-under par through her first four holes on Tuesday morning. She finished the final 18 holes at 10-over 80. The freshman from Flower Mound, Texas, finished in a three-way tie for 34th place at 32-over 242.

Midwestern State led the tournament with 33 birdies, which was seven more than the host school, Arkansas-Fort Smith, and the Mustangs had the second-most pars with 138, seven fewer than Arkansas Tech. 

Midwestern State had the fewest bogeys with 78 through 54 holes and tied for the fewest double plus-bogeys with Arkansas Tech and Henderson State at 21.

The Mustangs were the only squad in the 14-team field to shoot under par through three rounds on the par 5s. Midwestern State was 4-under at No. 3, No. 6 and No. 11 combined. Arkansas Tech was second on the par 5s at 3-over. 

Midwestern State also had the best average score on the par 4s, finishing at 4.41. Arkansas Tech took 17 more strokes on the par 4s, finishing at 79-over through 54 holes, while the Mustangs were 62-over.

Midwestern State is bound for Beaumont, Texas, next week to tee it up in the Lamar Cardinal Challenge, which gets underway on Monday morning.