NORMAL, Ill. – The youthful Wittenberg Tigers took the next step in their maturation process, finishing third in the 22-team Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic at Ironwood Golf Course.

The Tigers were in prime position after Day 1, standing atop the loaded field with a score of 309 that was matched only by NCAA Division II William Woods. However, in the second round, Wittenberg saw its score rise by 19 strokes, while William Woods dropped its score by 11 strokes. As a result, the Tigers dropped to third place behind William Woods and the host Titans in the final standings, but they remained ahead of multiple teams that earned mention in a preseason national poll.

There were numerous positives for the Tigers. Their opening round score of 309 is tied for the second-best in program history, matching the score posted at the Wittenberg Pat Clouse Invitational on Oct. 8, 2011. The second round score of 328 is tied for 12^th in program history.

Individually, Wittenberg sent two freshmen and three sophomores onto the course for the weekend, and they all responded with two-round totals that put them in the top 40 in a 116-player field. Leading the way was first-year student Allie Lawwill (Springboro, Ohio/Middletown), who posted scores of 74 and 79 to finish in seventh place with a score of 153. Her 74 ranks second in program history, as does her 153.

Next up for Wittenberg was sophomore Carolyn Wong (Naperville, Ill./Central), who finished 19^th with a two-day total of 159. Rounding things out for the Tigers were freshman Maggie Smith (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) in 31^st with a score of 164, sophomore Rachel Steiner (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota West) in 34^th with a 165, and sophomore Nicole Waers (Canton, Ohio/Perry) in 40^th with a 167.