Because of stellar performances by two underclassmen, the Iowa women’s golf team remains in contention after the first day of competition at the Chip-N-Club Invitational in Lincoln, Neb. Lauren English and Briana Midkiff hold the lowest totals for the Hawkeyes after 36 holes of the 54-hole event. As a team, the Hawkeyes finished the day tied for third place in the 13-team tournament, trailing tournament leader Missouri by 13 strokes.

English, a sophomore from Bloomington, Ill., started the day by firing a 3-over 75 in her first round of 18, the lowest round of the day among the Hawkeyes. Midkiff, a freshman from Carmel, Ind., was the surprise performer Monday. She was outstanding in her first tournament, and she heads into today tied for 20th overall as an individual. Her first day was highlighted by four birdies in her first round, the most in a single round among the Hawkeye golfers.

Strong performances by several members of the Missouri team propelled the Tigers to the top of the leaderboard Monday. Three different Tigers wound up in the top 15, including Katherine Hepler, who is currently tied for second.

The Hawkeyes will need good performances from Kristi Cardwell and Gigi DiGrazia today if they expect to contend for the title. The seniors were unusually inconsistent on Monday, leaving the door open for improved performances today.

The first group will tee off at 8:30 a.m.. To follow the final round, live results are posted on GolfStat.com.

—by Ryan Probasco