COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa -- Knocking 20 strokes off their first-round score was not enough for the Bellevue University women's golf team as the Bruins were edged out by host Iowa Western at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate.
Behind more becoming conditions on Tuesday, scores improved considerably for all four schools competing.
Iowa Western shot 327 on the day to finish with a two-day total of 675, three strokes ahead of second-place Bellevue. The Bruins shot 329 on the day to finish at 678. Iowa Central (706) and Nebraska Wesleyan (803) each trimmed over 30 strokes off Monday's scores to round out the field.
Maria Pinedo turned in the best round of the tournament, carding a 3-over 75 to finish at 15-over, climbing two spots on the individual leaderboard to finish just one stroke off individual medalist Baylie Pyke (IWCC). She led BU with a trio of birdies (No. 2, No. 7, No. 14), with all coming on par fours.
Megan Harty, Bellevue's second top-five finisher, shot a 14-over 86 to finish at 158 in fourth place. She parred or bogeyed 15 of 18 holes.
Ilysia Ibnu dropped four strokes on Tuesday, shooting a 14-over 86 for a 36-hole total of 176 to claim ninth place. She shot a consistent round, parring 10 holes and bogeying six more.
Aaricia Noel-Traissac and Chloe Blandinieres finished neck-and-neck in 11th and 12th place, respectively. Noel-Traissac improved her score by eight strokes to shoot a 13-over 85 for a score of 178, while Blandinieres was a team-best 11 strokes better, carding an 11-over 83 to shoot 179 for the tournament. Blandinieres accounted for BU's other birdie on the day, doing so on the par-five 15th hole.
The Bruins next compete in the North Star Athletic Association Championship on Monday-Tuesday, Apr. 29-30, at the Golf Club at Cedar Creek in Onalaska, Wis.
