Ohio tied for 16th this past weekend at the Rio Verde Collegiate Invitational in Rio Verde, Arizona with solid second and third rounds at the Rio Verde Country Club hosted by Western Michigan.
The Bobcats struggled in round one as they were 34 strokes-over-par as a team but rebounded in the next two rounds, only shooting 30 strokes-over-par.
The second round was the best for Ohio as they put up a 300 — 12 strokes-over-par — and the 10th-best score of the day. Ohio ended the Invitational with a round of 18 over-par that moved the team into a tie for 16th with Seton Hall.
Hailey Hyrnewich continued her season of being the best scoring Bobcat in all tournaments by tying for 15th in Arizona. For the tournament Hyrnewich was seven strokes-over-par (223) with her best round being a two-under-par (70) on the second day that put her in a tie for 10th through two rounds.
Hyrnewich averaged 74.33 strokes over the three rounds, which is a stroke higher than her average in stroke play during the fall. A final round 75 brought her average down after rough 78 to start the tournament.
Lily Pendy improved on her fall average as she shot better in all three rounds than her fall average of 78.06 strokes. Pendy tied for 37th with 13 strokes-over-par for the tournament and her best round was the second, in which she shot a 74.
The second day was the best for the Bobcats, including Pendy, who was in 23rd before dropping on the final day.
Marissa Balish led three Bobcats by placing in the eighties and finishing 80th and 23-over-par for the tournament. Her best round was a 77 in the second round after starting the tournament on the wrong foot with 12 strokes-over-par.
Emily Hughes and Nicole Smiley rounded the scoring out for the Bobcats by tying for 84th at 25 over-par. Hughes shot a pair of 79s in the second and third rounds after an 83 in the opening round. Smiley, on the other hand, tied with Hyrnewich for the best score in the third round with a 75, a four-stroke improvement from round two and 12 strokes from a 15 over-par round one.
Eastern Michigan (889) won the Invitational, moving up from second on the final day, with Northern Illinois (893) just four strokes behind.
Ohio next takes to the course in Wallace, North Carolina on March 9-10 for the River Landing Classic.
