Women’s golf got back on track, finishing the Bradley Spring Invitational with its first top three finish of the 2013-2014 campaign.

The tournament turned into a circus-like affair with a few changes due to weather conditions in Peoria. The Bradley Spring Invitational was scheduled to be played at Weaver Ridge Golf Club in Peoria with 36 holes shot Saturday and 18 holes Sunday. The conditions forced the golfers to move to the Pekin Country Club with the invitational being shortened to a 36-hole event.

“With the weather that they’ve had down in Peoria they had to switch golf courses, and instead of being 36 holes [Saturday] they switched it to 18,” said head coach Kim Kester. “We didn’t get a practice round in, and [Sunday] we got delayed an hour and a half due to the frost and everything. So the weekend was pretty much a game of patience. The rounds were extremely long; today’s round was over five and a half hours. For us, that’s long — way too long — so the girls showed good patience out there. There’s not too much you can do in those circumstances. You just have to role with the punches.”

Despite the changes, the Huskies managed to card a 622 (314, 308) just five strokes out of first and climbed three spots the final day after being in sixth place.

Freshman Lena Gautier led the charge for NIU, finishing in ninth out of 56 after shooting a final round 75, which was five strokes less than her first round score, to finish with a 155.

“We moved up three spots, which is good,” Kester said. “Lena was low on the team. She finished, I believe, tied ninth overall. [It was a] good tournament for her. She came with a 75 today. We moved up the leaderboard, and that’s always what you want to do. Top three performance, we’ll take it. Overall, [it was a] good day for the Huskies.”

Gautier was followed in the standings by freshman Sydney Brickey and sophomore Samantha Coyne, who finished in 13th out of 56 after posting a 156. Brickey carded an 80 in her final round (76), while Coyne cut two strokes off her first round score to post a final round 77 (79).

Sophomore Connie Ellett finished in the top 20, taking 17th of (81, 76) 157. Senior Jenny Niemiec’s score was four strokes behind Ellett, carding a 161 (79-82) to finish 28th.

In her spring debut, Taylor Ellett, who played as an individual, finished in 36th after posting a 164 (82-82).