COHUTTA, Ga. – Playing in a tournament that featured 14 ranked teams among its 16 participants, the University of Pikeville women's golf team opened the spring schedule with a fifth-place finish on Tuesday.
 
The tournament was held at the Par 72, 5,876-yard North Nob Golf Course.
 
Playing in Dalton State University's Lady Roadrunner Spring Invite, UPike finished in a solid position, behind only teams ranked ahead of it and in front of two teams below it.
 
No. 14 UPike finished the three-round tournament at 69-over par. No. 4 SCAD-Savannah, seventh-ranked William Carey (Miss.) and No. 2 Dalton State all tied for the title, firing a 54-hole score of 37-over.
 
No. 6 SCAD-Atlanta was fourth at 42-over.
 
UPike was fifth, followed by No. 8 Loyola (La.) at 77-over par. No. 20 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at 79-over, No. 9 Indiana Wesleyan (89-over), No. 21 Truett McConnell (Ga.) (104-over) and No. 30 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) at 109-over rounded out the Top 10.
 
Junior Tayla Howroyd recorded a Top 10 finish in the 89-player field with a score of 11-over par.
 
Two teammates finished in Top 20 scores. They were senior Carly Crooks, who finished 14^th with a score of 14-over, and graduate student Lauren Holmes, whose 17-over was good for 17^th in the field.
 
Senior Renee Crooks finished the event at 27-over par, while freshman Tiffanie Tran was 35-over.
 
Playing as an individual, sophomore Laney Sorrell was 36-over par.
 
UPike will be back in action April 12-14 in the Music City Classic, played at Old Hickory, Tenn.