Moody leads Stars in SAC Championship

Photo: Savannah Moody led the tournament by making par 15 times Friday.

The Stars, ranked 13th in the NAIA, stood in second place through 18 holes. Fifth-ranked Texas Wesleyan built a five-shot lead after the first day of the three-day tournament.

Texas Wesleyan posted a 305, while Oklahoma City turned in a 310 on the par-72, 6,020-yard course. Moody, Emma Allen, Melissa Eldredge, Loren Matrone, Regan McQuaid and Arianna Medina from the Stars held spots among the top 10 individually.

Texas Wesleyan’s Alex Schies and Jaci Trotter and Marina Gallegos of Wayland Baptist (Texas) each shot a 73 to be the individual leaders after the first 18 holes.

Moody, a senior from Aledo, Texas, paced OCU with a 40-36–76, good for a tie for fifth. She made par on 15 of the 18 holes to top the tournament field.

Allen, a senior from Broken Arrow, produced a 40-37–77 to tie for ninth place. Allen sank a birdie on the par-4, 350-yard 11th hole and scored par on 11 holes.

Eldredge carded a ninth-place 38-39–77 for the Stars. Eldredge, a sophomore from Eufaula, knocked in three birdies – on the par-4, 317-yard fourth hole, par-4, 385-yard No. 6 and the par-4, 345-yard eighth hole.

OCU’s Clair Hill, a freshman from Gig Harbor, Wash., contributed a 42-38–80 to tie for 16th. Hill dropped in two birdies. McKenzie McCoy totaled a 41-40–81, tying for 20th. McCoy, a freshman from Beggs, Okla., drained two birdies.

Matrone, McQuaid and Medina from the Stars played unattached. Matrone, a freshman from Frisco, Texas, shot a 39-37–76, while Medina, a freshman from Phoenix, tallied a 40-36–76 to tie for fifth. McQuaid, a junior from Tulsa, Okla., had a 40-37–77, which tied for ninth.

The temperature began the day in the 40s, rose to the 50s in the morning and 60s in the afternoon. The wind blew between 15-20 mph with 25 mph gusts.

The second round of the event tees off at 10 a.m. Saturday. The first OCU individual starts 11:15 a.m. Saturday.