Columbia, Mo. - Kelsy Holbert and Madeline Marck-Sherk each shot a first round 74 (+2) as the FGCU women's golf team sits in eighth place with a 300 (+12) through day one of the Johnie Imes Invitational at The Club at Old Hawthorne.

With bad weather expected on Wednesday, the tournament's final 36 holes will be played on Tuesday instead of the original 18-18-18 format. Tuesday's play will begin with an 8 a.m. CT shotgun start.

Missouri, the tournament host, currently sits in first place with an even par 288. Middle Tennessee (294, +6), East Tennessee State (295, +7) and North Texas (295, +7) round out the top three. FGCU's 300 (+12) as a team has them just two strokes behind FIU (298, +10) for seventh and three behind Bradley (297, +9). ASUN member Kennesaw State is in fifth place at 296, (+8).

FGCU currently leads Missouri State, Illinois State, Mercer, Wichita State, UALR and UMKC.

"Overall, we played pretty solid today," FGCU head coach Sarah Trew said. "There were a couple sloppy holes, and I think that could be attributed to nerves and it being our first tournament. We are only six shots out of second and are looking to move up tomorrow. We are going to have to play 36 holes due to the weather threat on Wednesday, and I think we have prepared well mentally for that. All we need to do is play our own games, and we will be in a good position."

The front nine proved beneficial for FGCU as the five-person team picked up 10 birdies. Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ontario/Ridgeway Crystal Beach HS) and Ailsa Clark (Navarre, Fla./Navarre HS) each had three of those birdies on the front nine, while Natalia Nassar (Floridablanca, Colombia) and Kate Williamson (Deerfield Beach, Fla./Archbishop McCarthy HS) each also birdied the 10th hole. Marck-Sherk, Holbert (Lutz, Fla./Steinbrenner HS), Clark and Williamson each picked up three birdies in the round. 

Meanwhile, FGCU struggled a bit on the back nine as the team picked up three birdies, 10 bogeys and two double bogeys. Including the birdies on the 10th hole from Nassar and Williamson, Holbert birdied the 17th hole for the Eagles to comprise the trio of birdies.

FGCU is currently in position for its highest finish in the tournament, which they have participated in the past three years. Last year's 11th place finish is currently the benchmark.

Three individuals shot a 68 (-4) and are in a tie for first - Marit Harryvan and Emma Allen of Missouri and Verena Gimmy of Missouri State.

Live stats for the tournament are available at BirdieFire.com and results are being posted at MUTigers.com following each round.

FGCU Lineup
T22) Kelsy Holbert 74 = 74 (+2)
T22) Madeline Marck-Sherk 74 = 74 (+2)
T28) Ailsa Clark 75 = 75 (+3)
T40) Natalia Nassar 77 = 77 (+5)
T62) Kate Williamson 79 = 79 (+7)

Complete Field (2017-18 GolfStat rankings come out Oct. 15)
1. Missouri 288 = 288 (E)
2. Middle Tennessee 294 = 294 (+6)
3T. North Texas 295 = 295 (+7)
3T. ETSU 295 = 295 (+7)
5. Kennesaw State 296 = 296 (+8)
6. Bradley 297 = 297 (+9)
7. FIU 298 = 298 (+10)
8. FGCU 300 = 300 (+12)
9T. Illinois State 302 = 302 (+14)
9T. Missouri State 302 = 302 (+14)
11. Mercer 303 = 303 (+15)
12. Wichita State 305 = 305 (+17)
13. UALR 306 = 306 (+18)
14. UMKC 307 = 307 (+19)

RALLY FOR RHYAN
The Missouri women's golf team is partnering with Rally for Rhyan to help raise awareness and funds for pediatric cancer at this year's Johnie Imes Invitational. Head coach Stephanie Priesmeyer originally sparked the idea for "Rally for Rhyan at the Johnie" when she saw a story coming from a mother who had just lost her child to cancer. So, she contacted the Loos family and worked with them to create a fundraising event that could combine with the Johnie. The mother of Rhyan, Jen Loos, reached out to the families they had met while Rhyan was receiving treatment at the Sloane Kettering Cancer Center and worked with them to pair the children with the different teams participating in the invitational. Rally for Rhyan T-shirts will be available for purchase at the event, which is free and open to the public. For more information on Rally for Rhyan, visit www.RallyForRhyan.org/donate.
 
COACH TREW
Head coach Sarah Trew is in her 7th season at the helm of the FGCU women's golf team. Trew took over in 2011 and has since guided the Eagles to the program's best-ever finish in the ASUN Tournament and to 23 top-5 finishes. The 2013-14 squad set a new single-season scoring record with a team average of 307.88, while also setting a new benchmark academically. The spring of 2015 saw the Eagles again take third place at the ASUN Championship, and recording their best team score of the season while 2016 again set a new standard. In 2015-16, Trew earned her first ASUN Coach of the Year title after the squad recorded a new program best with a 305.29 average and took second-place at the conference tournament – the program's best finish in the event. In the second round of that tournament, the Eagles carded a team score of 290 to set a low-round program record. The 2016-17 Eagles repeated that success with another second-place finish in the ASUN Championship and for the third time since Trew took over, set a new record with a 302.30 stroke average on the season.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information and a behind-the-scenes look at the FGCU women's golf program, follow on Twitter at @FGCU_WGolf and on Facebook at /FGCUWGolf.

IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future, beginning with both of this weekend's women's soccer matches. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.