High expectations pay off.

The SIUC women’s golf team opened the 1995 fall season with a fourth place finish in the Illinois State Classic this weekend, ending the three round tournament with a score of 975.

Head coach Diane Daugherty said she was very pleased with how the team placed, considering it was her squad’s first tournament.

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We were very respectable, she said. Fourth out of 17 teams is not bad. Only three teams finished ahead of us.

SIUC defeated several tough competitors in tournament play. The Salukis placed higher than Missouri Valley Conference rival Illinois State, who finished the tournament in fifth place. SIUC also defeated University of Illinois for the first time.

Many golfers contributed to the team effort.

Junior Stacy Skillman was the Salukis’ highest finisher, tied for fourth place overall. She had a three-round total of 234.

Molly Hudgins ended the tournament tied for 12th place with a 242.

Daugherty said both Skillman and Hudgins performed well under pressure.

We lost Lieschen Eller, our No. 1 player. Molly was playing No. 1 for the first time. They handled it pretty well.

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Jami Zimmerman, Kristen Oglesby and Jamie Smith rounded out Saluki scoring with totals of 253, 255, 258 repectively.

Daugherty said positive attitude was key to the Saluki success.

We hung in there and fought back in the second round.

The Salukis are optimistic for the rest of the season. Daugherty said the team is hungry to improve.

They (the team) want to be first, second and third, she said. We played well, but we know we can play better.

SIUC travels to Evanston, Ill. for the Northwestern Invitational Sept. 24-25.