Rachel Steiner

CLAYTON, IND. — The Wittenberg Tigers finished a deceptively solid fifth in the eight-team field assembled at the DePauw Small College Classic, which was shortened to 18 holes by rain on the second day.

The individual finishes and all-tournament team awards were based on 27 holes after most of the players made it through nine holes of the second round before the rains arrived in earnest. The team finishes and final scores, however, are based on the 18 holes completed in the first round.

Wittenberg compiled a team score of 337 on the par-72, 5,803-yard Deer Creek Golf Course. The Tigers, ranked 23rd in a national preseason poll, finished 21 strokes behind eighth-ranked Centre, which beat second-ranked host DePauw by four strokes to claim the title. Thirteenth-ranked Olivet finished third and fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan rounded out the teams to finish ahead of the Tigers. Wittenberg beat fifth-ranked St. Mary's by 13 strokes.

Freshman Nicole Waers (Canton, Ohio/Perry) led the Tigers with an 83, good for a tie for 16th place. She was followed closely by freshman Rachel Steiner (Hamilton, Ohio/Lakota West) in 19th with an 84, senior Anne Busam (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline) in 22nd with an 85 and sophomore Deanna Mychalishyn (Mason, Ohio/Mason), also in 22nd with an 85. Also of note was the play of senior Carrie Frey (Cincinnati, Ohio/McNicholas), who played as an individual and matched the score posted by Busam and Mychalishyn.

The Tigers get right back into action next weekend at a tournament hosted by ninth-ranked Allegheny. The fall season wraps up with the Pat Clouse Invitational Oct. 8-9, hosted by Wittenberg at Windy Knoll Golf Club.