NEWTON, Kan. - Conditions were difficult at the Tabor College Fall Golf Invitational on Monday, but the Mid-America Christian University golf team battled through and left themselves within striking distance of the top-5 on the men's side, and Kirsten Westlake continued a solid fall season in her freshman campaign.

MACU carded a 317 as a team, placing their men's team in sixth place after 18 holes. The Evangels are 15 shots off the pace being set by Ottawa University (Kan.), but they are only six back of Bethany College (Kan.) for fifth place. Oklahoma Wesleyan University occupies the second spot, Hannibal-LaGrange University (Mo.) sits in third, and Briar Cliff University (Iowa) rounds out the top-5 in fourth.

With cold, rainy, and windy conditions, the Evangels struggled a bit in the opening 18 holes on the Sand Creek Station Golf Club - which is already a difficult course. Three Evangels are in a 19th-place tie at the halfway point, as Wyatt Bonds, Austin Davis, and Isaac Maston each shot 79 in the opening round of the event. Gage Gibson and Jake Reddington finished the first 18 holes one shot behind their teammates, shooting identical scores of 80. Birdies were tough to come by for the entire field, and MACU was no exception, though each MACU golfer birdied at least one hole, and Bonds had a pair of under par holes.

On the ladies side, the MACU golfers shot scores in the 90s, but both remain in a respectable place on the leaderboard. Westlake shot a 90, but she had two of the 13 birdies the course yielded to the field in the round. Westlake was one of only two players in the tournament to notch multiple birdies in the first round, along with Bethany's Savannah Pinson who birdied three holes.

Hannah Price shot a 94 in the round, and she is in a tie for 16th after the opening round.

The tournament will conclude with a final 18-hole round on Tuesday afternoon.