RAPID CITY, S.D. – Oklahoma City University stood in second place trailing by seven strokes through 18 holes of the NAIA women's golf championships Tuesday at Meadowbrook Golf Course.

The second-ranked Stars shot a 308 in their bid for a sixth consecutive NAIA crown. Fourth-ranked British Columbia carded the low round of the first day at 301.

Morgan Gay and Laura Jones paced OCU with a 76 each. They trailed first-day leader Maegan Rice of Mobile (Ala.) by five strokes.

“I liked our performance today for a first-round showing,” OCU coach M.J. Desbiens said. “We can definitely improve in some areas, especially in our par-5 scoring.”

Gay, a senior from Lindsay, Okla., sank three birdies on the front nine – the par-3, 149-yard second hole, par-5, 468-yard fifth hole and the par-5, 473-yard ninth hole. She also had five bogeys and a double bogey.

Jones, a junior from Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, England, buried birdies on the second hole and the par-4, 341-yard sixth hole. Jones took four bogeys and a double bogey.

Taylor Howard contributed a 77 for the Stars. Howard, a freshman from Ada, Okla., played the first nine holes at 2-over-par and had only a double bogey on the fourth hole. Howard had three bogeys on her back nine.

Paige Martin chipped in a 79 for OCU. Martin, a junior from Ardmore, Okla., stuck birdies in on the par-4, 359-yard third hole and the par-3, 137-yard seventh hole. Martin finished with seven bogeys and a double bogey.

The Stars' Tanya Tibshraeny had an 81. Tibshraeny, a freshman from Westhaven, Kirkwood, South Africa, birdied the par-4, 363-yard eighth hole. She also had eight bogeys and a double bogey.

Temperatures reached 66 degrees with a 13-mph wind on the par-72, 6,000-yard course.

The second round begins 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. OCU starts on the 10th hole as Gay will be the first Star to tee off at 2 p.m.
Results