LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Chadron State women's golf closed day one of the SMSU Challenge at the Wigwam Resort's Blue Course in sixth place out of 10 competing teams. 

The Eagles have a team score of 44-over-par 324, which comes as a result of all four scoring CSC golfers each managing to shoot identical rounds of 11-over 81. Senior Payton Wise, sophomore Allison Sanger and freshmen Macy Kleve and Lauren Knapp are all part of a massive group of 11 golfers tied for 19^th place individually. 

Aubree Heinsma, a senior who missed the entire fall 2025 season with injury, put together a sterling round that has her tied for sixth overall on the individual leaderboard. Heinsma turned a 7-over-par round of 77 and sits four strokes back of the top three and six strokes behind the leader. 

Unfortunately for Chadron State's team hopes, Heinsma is competing as an individual this Thursday-Friday, so her round cannot count for the Eagles' total.  

Klara Kleinig, the final member of CSC's pool of five potential scoring golfers, is tied for 30^th but just one stroke behind the massive group after shooting 12-over 82. Brooklyn Tychsen, also competing as an individual, carded an 87 and is in 46^th place among a 62-golfer field. 

In the team race, Colorado Mesa leads by three strokes over MSU Denver and five strokes over Augustana. There is an 11-stroke gap between third place and fourth place, but the Eagles are part of a tight grouping in fourth through seventh. 

Fort Hays State and Rockhurst are tied for fourth at 43-over 323, with the Eagles a stroke behind in sixth and Minnesota-Crookston just one stroke behind the Eagles. Bemidji State, Southwest Minnesota State and Minnesota-Moorhead round out the field. 

Round two of the SMSU Challenge takes place Friday. The first CSC golfer is set to tee off at 12:22 p.m. (MT) with the first golfers in the field starting at 10:16 a.m.