Led by the effort of senior Michelle Kleckner (New Brighton, Minn./Irondale), the Valparaiso women's golf team sits in ninth place following the opening round of the 54-hole MSU/Payne Stewart Memorial at Rivercut G.C. in Springfield, Mo. The second round was started on Monday as well, but was suspended due to darkness.

The Crusaders shot a team round of 316 over the opening 18 holes, good for a tie for ninth place out of the 17 competing teams. Valpo entered the second round just 10 strokes out of fifth place.

Kleckner shot the second-best round of her career to open the tournament on Monday, carding a one-over 73 over the first 18 holes. The round, which had the senior in a tie for seventh after the first round, is tied for the fifth-best round in Crusader program history. Senior Kelly Voigt (Palatine, Ill./Fremd) was the second-best Crusader on Monday, shooting a 78 to end the first round tied for 30^th place.

Sophomore Sibil Gill (Kokomo, Ind./Western) posted a score of 80 in the first round, entering the middle round tied for 48^th place. Senior Erika Pfaender (Pewaukee, Wis./Arrowhead) and freshman Sydney Shrum (Cloverdale, Ind./Cloverdale) both shot rounds of 85 to tie for 77^th after the first 18 holes.

Valparaiso will finish out the middle 18 holes before concluding tournament play with the final round on Tuesday.