WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – ISU freshman Elise Fennell had a stellar opening day at the Boilermaker Spring Classic, tying the freshman single-round record to start the day, before coming back with a two-under par second round and leads the field of 96 golfers with 18 holes to play in the tournament.

The Redbirds head into the final round tied for third place with a 36-hole score of 586, alongside Cincinnati. Illinois' 577 leads the tournament with 18 holes to play, while Denver is two strokes ahead of ISU. Princeton (587), South Alabama (588), Minnesota (594), Purdue (595), Northern Illinois (596), Eastern Michigan (598), Butler (604), Akron (605), Bradley (611), Toledo (622), Tennessee Tech (622), and Detroit Mercy (658) round out the 16 schools in the tournament.

Fennell's day started with a four-under 68, tying the freshman school record that she set on February 23 at the Rio Verde Invitational. Of the 15 times in Illinois State women's golf history that a freshman has carded a score under 71, 11 are from the current ISU freshman class of Fennell, Jessica Jolly, and Alex Sparrow.

Fennell started with three birdies within her first four holes of the day and was never over par at any point of the 36 holes. After her fast start she cooled slightly with seven pars and a pair of bogeys to go to a shot under par; however, she finished nearly as strong as she started with three birdies over her final five holes of the round to close the first time through Ackerman-Allen Golf course at four shots under par. She opened her second round with a birdie and two pars, and she traded bogeys for birdies through her first 15 holes, sitting at even par before closing her days with two birdies over her final three holes to close her day as one of just five golfers in the field with two under-par rounds on the day.

Graduate student Jinyoung Yun is tied for 23rd in the field through 36 holes behind rounds of 76 and 72. Her opening day started slowly; however, birdies on two of her last three holes sent her to the second round at four strokes over par. Her second round had two birdies and 14 pars en route to her even-par 72, the 17th time this season in 26 rounds where she has had an at or under par this season, adding to her season school record.

Fennell classmate Jolly is tied for 33rd after round of 73 and 77. Her opening round had four birdies and nine pars, before coming back with two birdies and 10 pars, over her second time around the course.

Senior Lory Paradis enters the final round tied for 40th with a 36-hole score of 151 using rounds of 78 and 73. She opened her day with a six-over 76 as she had two birdies and nine pars, before turning around with a one-over second round as she had three birdies and 11 pars.

Morgan Jones opened her day with a five-over 77 on the, as she had a birdie and a dozen pars, and came back with 13 pars for a second consecutive five-over 77, and her 154 is tied for 55th individually. Playing as an individual, Dani Grace Schrock had matching rounds of 79, her first round with 11 pars, and her second with two birdies and nine pars, and she is tied for 76th with a round to play.

The Redbirds, along with Illinois, Denver, and Cincinnati will start the final round at 9 a.m. CT on holes one through three.

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