The Missouri State women's golf team fired a school-record 290 in Tuesday's (Sept. 22) final round to capture its own Payne Stewart Memorial at Rivercut Golf Course in Springfield, Mo.  Entering the final round four strokes behind Arkansas State, the Bears stormed from behind to overtake the Red Wolves and win by 11 strokes.  MSU posted a team score of 308-303-290--901.  ASU led after the first and second rounds and finished with 301-306-305-912, while Central Arkansas was third with 306-306-304--916.

Play was suspended due to heavy rain and thunderstorms at around 5 p.m. local time Monday with the first round in the books and approximately five holes remaining in the second round for most players.  The teams finished the second round Tuesday morning and continued immediately with the final round.

Drake finished fourth with 921, followed by Bradley with 925 and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 933.  Southern Illinois (940), Oklahoma City and South Dakota State (941) and UMKC (945) rounded out the top 10.  UNI (957) placed 11th, followed by Creighton (986), SIU-Edwardsville (995), Cal Sate Fullerton (1001) and South Dakota (1070).

Jennifer Welch of Arkansas State took home medalist honors after defeating Breanne Neufeld of Bradley on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff.  Both players shot 219, Welch carding 72-71-76 and Neufeld 75-72-72.

The Bears' record final round included a career-low two-under-par 70 by sophomore Kelsey Welber, 72 by sophomore Catherine Dolan, 73 from senior Stacey Rodger, 75 from freshman Hermine Greyling and 78 by freshman Heather Smith.  MSU had four players in the final top 10.  Welber tied for third with 75-78-70--223 while Greyling tied for fifth with 79-72-75--226.  Dolan was eighth after carding 81-75-72--228 and Smith tied for ninth with 73-78-78--229.  Rodger tied for 29th by posting 83-79-73--235.

Four Bears played as individuals, but not able to count toward the team score.  That group was led by sophomore Emily Potts, who shot 81-77-77--235, followed by freshman Emma Clegg's 80-79-79--238.  Sophomore Emily Matthews shot 81-90-79--250 and freshman Amy Bowen had 96-89-85--270.

The Bears are idle next week and then return to action Oct. 5-6 at the Johnie Imes Invitational in Columbia, Mo.