The ISU women’s golf team ran into some stiff competition and some tough terrain at the Susie Maxwell Berning Invitational in Norman, Okla., Monday and Tuesday.

The Cyclones finished in 10th place out of 15 teams.

“The conditions of the turf did not fit our strengths,” head coach Julie Manning said. “It made us play more of a bump-and-run style.”

Manning had high expectations heading into the meet after the Cyclones scored the second-best team score in school history the tournament before.

“I thought we’d fare better than we did,” Manning said.

“I thought we had some momentum heading into it.”

The Cyclones ended up shooting a 54-hole 948, six strokes behind Texas A&M and Texas-El Paso. Although the Cyclones finished in 10th place, no ISU golfer placed lower than 54th individually.

Junior Lisa Meshke once again led the team, firing rounds of 79-77-79 for a total score of 231, earning her 15th place individually. Manning had nothing but praises for Meshke.

“It was a nice solid performance,” Manning said. “She is coming into her own.”

Fellow junior Louise Kenney shot only four strokes behind Meshke, but placed 30th individually.

“Kenney has true heart,” Manning said. “She started off on a bad note but had the talent and pride to battle back. Right now, she’s knocking on the door.”

The two ISU seniors, Leanne Owens and Cindy Whitmore, fired scores of 238 and 245, earning 37th and 52nd place, respectively.

The lone freshman on the team, Christi Athas, fired a score of 248, good for a 54th-place tie.

Oklahoma, host of the tournament, stormed through the meet, carding a 900 — beating second-place Southern Methodist by 20 strokes.

“[Oklahoma is] very good from top to bottom,” Manning said.

“They are a very smooth team, but it also helps having local knowledge of the course you’re playing on.”

Although the Cyclones didn’t perform up to expectations, Manning found many positives coming out of the tournament.

“It exposed our weaknesses, but that’s a good thing,” Manning said.

“Now we know what we have to do, and it gives us stuff to work on.”

The Cyclones next travel to College Station, Texas, to play in the Big 12 tournament. This marks the last guaranteed meet for the Cyclones.

“The most important thing is to have Leanne and Cindy leave having fond memories of playing,” Manning said.

Manning believes that the Big 12 is a wide-open tournament for anyone to win.

“I feel it suits us better because it is three days of 18 holes rather than 36-18 (in two days),” she said.

“It’s so competitive; it should be really fun.”