BEAUMONT, Texas – Midwestern State enters the final round of the Cardinal Challenge at Beaumont Country Club with a commanding 17-stroke lead atop the team leaderboard. Mary Kerr and Alli Reily are part of a three-way tie for first place on the individual leaderboard at 2-over 146.
Midwestern State had by far the best round of the day, shooting 6-over 294 in the first round to take a 13-stroke lead over Incarnate Word, which shot 14-over in the second round and remained in second place after the Mustangs shot 10-over during the afternoon session and enters the final round on Tuesday at 16-over.
Blinn College is in third place at 44-over. The tournament is hosted by Lamar, which is 52-over and in fourth place after 36 holes of play.
Kerr shot matching rounds of 1-over 73 on Monday with one birdie in the first round and two birdies in the second round.
Reily opened the day with a 2-over 74, carding four birdies in the first round, including three over her final eight holes. The senior from Pottsboro, Texas, had three birdies en route to an even-par 72 in the second round.
Isabella Saenz of Incarnate Word joined the two Mustangs at the top of the leaderboard in the five-team, 29-player event.
Romane Lacoste and Kodi Nolen are tied for fifth place at 6-over through 36 holes of the 54-hole tournament.
Lacoste shot 1-over in the first round and had three birdies over a span of four holes during her final nine holes of the opening round. She had two birdies during the afternoon session and shot 5-over.
Nolen birdied two of her final three holes during the first round and shot 2-over 74. The senior from Midlothian, Texas, had two birdies in her second round and shot 4-over 76 at the 6,077-yard course.
Emme Darnold had four birdies through 36 holes and is tied for 11th place at 12-over entering the final round.
Madison Wert, competing as an individual, eagled the par-5, 415-yard eighth hole during the second round and had four birdies in the two rounds combined, finishing at 13-over and in 13th place.
Kaetie Samuels opened with a 4-over 76 on Monday and shot 14-over 86 in the second round while competing as an individual, and she is in 20th place entering the final round on Tuesday.
Freshman Samantha Truong, competing as an individual, opened with a birdie in the first round and had one more in the second round, finishing the day at 20-over and in 23rd place.
The final round will be staged on Tuesday.
