ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Through stiff competition, the Eagles fought for fifth place on Tuesday at the Nick Turner Invitational. Brady Turnquist led the way for BU, taking third on the individual leaderboard in the two day tournament.

"My goal coming into this tournament was to have a top five finish," head coach Jane Carr said. "We were facing a tough field of 14 teams with six coming from the Lone Star Conference. It was a good feeling to beat three of the six and to have a good chance to win after day one." 

"I think our players saw that they can go head to head with better teams and hold their own," added Carr."

A cloudy and windy Tuesday morning made for a tougher day on the course for all of the top teams. Five squads offered sub-300 finishes on Monday but none accomplished the same feat on day two.

The field of teams at the Nick Turner Invitational featured No. 6 St. Mary's, who landed one spot behind Biola on the final leaderboard. Three other squads in the competition were receiving votes in the most recent WGCA NCAA DII Coaches Poll.

Biola's squad of five golfers combined for a score of 311 on day two. Turnquist turned in the best scorecard for BU with 74 strokes and two over-par. For the third time this season in as many opportunities, Turnquist notched a top-three placement.

"Brady had another solid round of golf today and a top three finish in this field is a win in my book. She continues to impress me. She is a hard worker and a true competitor," commented Carr.

Melanie Reyes remained consistent with a second score of 78 to finish out her tournament. The freshman tied for 31st, individually.

Two other freshmen made their contributions felt on the way to the team's fifth-place finish. Rachel Shaw (73-81-154) captured a tie for 25th place, while ranking third on the Biola leaderboard. Lauren Lee (77-83-160) competed in her second tournament for the Eagles, tying for 43rd place.

Carr was happy to see her young talent battle with tough competition, "We have a lot of talent in our freshmen class. It was a really good experience for our players to be paired with two Lone Star teams. Our freshmen are gaining valuable experience to build on for the years to come."

Senior Sami Penor cracked the top 20 on Tuesday, finishing off her tournament with a round of 78. The Henderson, Nevada native posted two of her best scores this season, staying sub-79 through both rounds.

Opposing the trend across the field, Mary Grace Davidson improved her score on day two, carding a round of 78 on Tuesday. The sophomore turned in a two-day total of 158 strokes to place her tied for 36th as an individual.

BU will return to the course on Monday with a three day Hawaii Hilo Tournament at the Hapuna Golf Course in Kohala Coast, Hawaii.