LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. - Paced by a ninth place finish by junior Anna Tollette, Concordia-St. Paul women's golf placed fifth at the SMSU Spring Challenge played at the Wigwam Golf Course on Thursday and Friday to open up the spring season.

The women competed in a field of eight teams including six other NSIC squads. The Golden Bears shot a 335 (+29) on day two, adding to their day one score of 333 (+27) for a two round total of 668 (+92). CSP finished in third among the NSIC teams, 41 strokes ahead of sixth place Minot State and 18 strokes behind third place Southwest Minnesota State.. Wayne State finished in the top spot in the tournament with 636 strokes (+60) edging out Ashland (646) by ten strokes.

Tollette (159) had a solid day to lead the Golden Bears, improving her day one score of 82 (+10) with an 80 (+8) in round two for a total of 162 (+18). The junior jumped up four spots from 13th to to tie for ninth in a field of 49 competitors. Tollette now has two top ten finishes on the season.

She finished two shots ahead of teammate Isabella Dory's 164 (+20).  Dory was the team's round one leader with an 81 (+9), but a double bogey on hole four set her back a few spots into 13th place.Overall she finished seventh in par-5 scoring at 5.17 (+2).

Darby Barstad was four strokes behind Dory, finishing in 20th place with rounds of 85 and 83 for a total of 168 strokes (+24). The freshman tied for the third most birdies with four.

Brooke Anderson rounded out CSP's shorthanded team of four, posting an 89 (+17) on day two to finish with 174 strokes (+30), and tied for 27th place.

Concordia continues spring competition on March 27 and 28 at the MWSU Holiday Inn Classic hosted by Missouri Western State at the St. Joseph's Country Club in St. Joseph, Missouri.