For the first time since 2014, Siena women's Golf concluded a round at the top of the field, ending day one of the Sacred Heart Invitational in first place Sunday afternoon. The Saints shot +30, 318 to edge out six other squads, including host Sacred Heart and MAAC foes Fairfield and Monmouth at the Great River Golf Club in Milford, CT, with senior captain
Sara Riso sitting among the top of the individual leaderboard as well.
Competing at the event for the fourth consecutive season, Riso shot +2, 74 during her first time around the Par-72, 5898-yard course to finish the day ahead of SHU's Chelsea Sedlar by one stroke. The Hamburg, NY native will enter the final round in search of her second individual medalist finish both in the Nutmeg State and on the season, after taking home the trophy at the Hartford Hawk Invitational September 29-30.
Joining Riso inside the top-10 after 18 holes were three other Siena golfers, beginning with sophomores
Abigail Chai-Onn, who shot +8, 80 to tie Monmouth's Hailey Gooding for fifth, and
Grace Cuttone, who finished a stroke behind to land in seventh. Freshman
Lena Kaufman (+11, 83) landed in a tie for eighth place, while junior
Marisa Fiorina rounded out the Saints' competing squad with a +15, 87, good for a five-way tie for 14th.
Siena will take the course for a shotgun start at 10 AM Monday morning to conclude action at the 36-hole affair. The Saints will go for their first team title since winning their most recent MAAC Championship back in 2014.