Hoosiers improve, finish 14th in Vegas

The IU women's golf team bounced back despite a troubling first round to finish 14th in a 17-team field at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas Spring Invitational. The team was paced by the consistent play of freshman Elaine Hake and improved play after the first day of the tournament.\nThe Hoosiers struggled out of the gate at the Black Mountain Golf and Country Club, par 72, putting together a team score of 343. They bounced back in the final two rounds of play however, carding a 318 and 321 for a three-round total of 982. \nHarris led the way shooting a team low 240 (82-80-78), finishing in 40th place. Following Harris in 61st was senior Bethany Brunner with a 245 (84-78-83), junior Molly Redfearn in 67th with a 247 (89-84-74), junior Katie Carlson in 88th with a 254 (88-80-86) and freshman Stephanie Mayotte with a 259 (92-80-87) in 91st. There were 98 competitors in the field.\nTwentieth-ranked University of Southern California took home its first tournament championship of the season by 15 strokes with a three-round total of 895 (306-299-290), followed by No. 10 Pepperdine University and No. 19 University of Arizona in third. \nThe leading individual of the invitational was Arizona's Cassandra Kirkland who shot a 220 (75-69-76), beating Pepperdine's Eileen Vargas who put up a 221 (74-75-72). The third place finisher was Southern California golfer Catalina Marin with a 222 (73-73-76).\nThe Hoosiers' will take to the links again as the host of Indiana Invitational in Bloomington May 2 and 3.