The Iowa State women’s golf team ran away with its first title of the year Oct. 4 at the Northern Illinois Invitational.

In what Coach Julie Manning considered some of the worst weather she’s ever played or coached in, the team shot a 323-stroke total to win the tournament by six.

“I’m not sure we should have been playing. The weather was cold, rainy and windy,” Manning said, “but a win is a win.”

Because the weather was so bad on Sunday, the round was cut short to nine holes. Bad weather continued on Monday, and the teams finished the eighteen holes and called it a day.

“I was one of the people making the decision, and I am not sure we should have been playing,” Manning said.

The decision was made and the Cyclone women battled their way to a title. A surprising Northern Iowa team finished six strokes back in second place. Minnesota rounded out the top three by shooting a single round of 332.

In individual play, freshman Laura Wells played solid to finish third for the second consecutive week.

“Laura continued to play well, especially in extreme conditions,” Manning said.

With consecutive top three finishes, Wells is slowly starting to make a name for herself. As a freshman, she is already playing with great composure.

Winning the medalist honors in the tournament was Lewis University’s Reetta Laakkonen who shot a 77 for the weekend.

The rest of the Cyclone women played very well in helping the team gain a first-place finish. Heather Elenbaas and Noel Jacobusse finished in a tie for seventh place by shooting rounds of 81.

Because of the weather conditions, the scores were a lot higher than normal. Typical high scores in the low 70s turned into upper 70s and 80s.

The women are now enjoying some time off before they travel to Bayonet Point, Fla., for the Beacon Woods Invitational, Oct. 15-17.

Wells, Elenbaas, Jacobusse and Cathy Ennis are set fixtures in the Cyclone lineup, but Coach Manning is looking for someone to step up in the fifth slot. She’s hoping Sarah Gilbert or Erin Denefe call fill the roll.

The Beacon Woods tourney will be a big test for the improving squad. The tournament will be three days of 18 holes, something weather has prohibited them from doing recently.

“It’s a tournament everyone likes playing in, but there will be tough competition in the south,” Manning said.

The Cyclones were recently ranked 44th in Saragin’s computer rankings and look to move up with a high finish in their final tournament of the fall.