Multiple Cowgirls in contention after Day One of FAU Paradise Invitational

Boca Raton, Fla. - The 21^st-ranked Oklahoma State women's golf team finished day one of the FAU Paradise Invitational in second place, with three Cowgirls in the top five on the individual leaderboard.

The Cowgirls had a dominant first day at Osprey Point Golf Course, shooting 20-under through two rounds while leading the field in both birdies (39) and par-3 scoring (2.95). They sit just two strokes behind first-place Oklahoma heading into Tuesday's final round.

Five of the 10 individual Cowgirl rounds were in the 60s and nine were at-or-below par.

Scoring was at a premium for the rest of the field. Oklahoma State separated itself from the competition, building up a 14-stroke lead over third-place Mercer.

Sophomore Ellie Bushnell is in second place individually, just one stroke behind Oklahoma's Gracie Mayo.

Bushnell fired a 69 in round one and followed it up with a bogey-free 68 in round two. Her 4.50 par-5 stroke average was tops among the field's 78 golfers.

Grace Kilcrease picked up right where she left off last fall, with a 4-under, 68, followed by a 71 in the afternoon session. Her 10 birdies were second-most among the field.

Thitaporn Sathip matched Kilcrease with identical scores in each of the two rounds.

Both golfers are 5-under par and just three strokes back of the lead.

Freshman Tarapath Panya is off to solid start, tied for 19^th at 1-under par.

Fellow first-year Lucy Darr bounced back from a 5-over first round with a career-low 69 in the afternoon, helped by five birdies.

The Cowgirls will be paired with Sooners and Mercer for Tuesday's final round of competition.

Texas State Invitational:

Three other Cowgirls, Marta Silchenko, Summer Lee and Sammie Miller, competed individually at Texas State Invitational in Blanco, Texas.

All three golfers rank among the top-5 through 36 holes with 18 more to play on Tuesday.

Lee shined in the Texas heat, finishing the day at 4-under with a three-stroke lead over Texas State's Yvonne Chamness. She was one of just two golfers to shoot under par in the morning session (-1) and was even better over the next 17, firing a 3-under, 69. It was her second career round in the 60s.

Lee wasn't the only success story in Texas.

Lee wasn't the only success story in Texas as sophomore Marta Silchenko, making her season debut, went 1-under on the day, a score good enough to sit her in a tie for second, three back of her teammate in first.

Miller (+2) is tied for fourth after two steady rounds. She posted pars on 26 of the 36 holes – tops among the field.

For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State women's golf, visit okstate.com or @Cowgirlgolf on social media.

Team Leaderboard:
1. Oklahoma (-22) — 276-278
2. Oklahoma State (-20) — 277-279
3. Mercer (-6) — 283-287
4. Kentucky (-5) — 285-286
5. Texas Tech (-4) — 285-287
5. Rutgers (-4) — 288-284
7. Denver (-3) — 283-290
T8. Tulane (-1) — 282-293
T8. BYU (-1) — 287-288
10. East Carolina (+8) — 295-289
11. Notre Dame (+9) — 290-295
12. Florida International (+12) — 302-286
T13. Florida Atlantic (+13) — 293-296
T13. Kennesaw State (+13) — 296-293
15. Cincinnati (+17) — 291-302

Individual Leaderboard at FAU Paradise Invitational:
2. Ellie Bushnell (-7)- 69-68 = 137
T5. Grace Kilcrease (-5)- 68-71 = 139
T5. Thitaporn Saithip (-5)- 68-71 = 139
T19. Tarapath Panya (-1)- 72-71 = 143
T41. Lucy Darr (+2)- 77-69 = 146

Individuals at Texas State Invitational:
1. Summer Lee (-4)- 71-69 = 140
T2. Marta Silchenko (-1)- 74-69 = 143
T4. Sammie Miller (+2)- 73-73 = 146

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Multiple Cowgirls in contention after Day One of FAU Paradise Invitational

Players Mentioned

Ellie Bushnell

Lucy Darr

Grace Kilcrease

Summer Lee

Sammie Miller

Tarapath Panya

Thitaporn Saithip

Marta Silchenko

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