Bad weather and tough fairways hindered the Salukis as they tied for 10th during the weekend’s Indiana Invitational.

Junior Cassie Rushing placed the highest of any Saluki over the two-day tournament as she finished 23rd with a 232 score over three rounds. Her score of 72 in the final round is the fifth-lowest third-round score in school history.

Rushing said she was glad she could add to her career success.

“I came here coming from high school and our team setting a lot of the records there,” she said “Coming here and being able to do the same thing here is pretty cool.”

Rushing has led the Salukis in scoring average for the past three seasons and holds SIU’s all-time low 72 in the second round.

Saluki freshmen Amy Lee and Mattie Lindner tied for 39th at the Indiana Invitational. Lee’s stroke-average 79 is now tied with junior Ashleigh Rushing for second on the team.

Lee said the wind and rain were issues for the team on the fairways.

“The fairways weren’t as conditioned as they were at other places,” she said. “They seemed just like the roughs, and we had to club up all the time to get the right distance.”

Lee was among four Salukis to place in the top half of the 84-player tournament.

For the first time since the season’s September start, the Salukis were not the top MVC team in a tournament. Their tie with Bradley had them three spots behind the No. 6 Illinois State Redbirds.

Despite the season-low finish, coach Alexis Mihelich said she was happy with the team’s ability to rebound when the weather improved.

“We battled cold and windy conditions in the first round, but we bounced back,” she said. “We shot the (lowest) second round for all the MVC schools participating. I’m proud of our players for having the mental toughness to bounce back like that.”

Four of the five Salukis saw their scores improve on the tournament’s second day, and the Rushing sisters were the only ones to have their third-round scores be equal or better than their second.

The Salukis begin MVC Championship play Monday at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo.