NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – Junior Saranlak Tumfong and the Toledo women's golf team sit atop the leaderboard following Friday's opening round of the Mid-American Conference Championships. Tumfong carded a two-over par 74 at the par-72, 6,025-yard Purgatory Golf Club to help the Rockets finish with a team score of 15-over par 303 in cold and gusty conditions.

Toledo is two strokes in front of No. 10 Kent State and seven ahead of third-place Northern Illinois. The Rockets finished the opening round with a tourney-best 52 pars and their nine birdies rank second behind KSU's total of 10. UT excelled on the par-four holes, finishing at 10-over with NIU ranking second in the field at plus-21.

"Everyone committed 100 percent to their process today and stayed patient the entire day," Head Coach Jenny Coluccio said. "I'm very proud of their resiliency and attitudes today! The conditions were challenging to say the least and we will be faced with them again tomorrow."

Tumfong leads the field in par-four scoring (even-par) and holds a one-shot lead over teammate Pimchanok Kawil as well as the Huskies' Brielle Ward and Golden Flashes' Chloe Salort.

"Saranlak was very comfortable mentally today and focused in on her decision making," Coluccio said. "Her short game and scrambling were very strong."

Senior Natcha Daengpiem is tied for fifth place with a four-over par 76 and is a tournament-best two-under par in par-three scoring.

Senior Pinyada Kuvanun is tied for ninth place with a six-over par 78. The Rockets' leader with a 73.1 stroke average this season hit the turn at six-over par after bogeying No. 8 and No. 9 but rebounded with nine straight pars.

"Pinyada never wavered from her process," Coluccio said. "She settled into the conditions and made adjustments for the back nine. I'm proud that she continued to stay patient and trusted her abilities."

Toledo's tee times in tomorrow's second round begin at 11:30 a.m. The tournament's final round will be held on Sunday.

TEAM STANDINGS
1. Toledo 303 (+15); 2. Kent State 305 (+17); 3. Northern Illinois 310 (+22); 4. Akron 317 (+29); 5. Ohio 321 (+33); T6. Eastern Michigan 324 (+36); T6. Ball State 324 (+36); 8. Bowling Green 328 (+40); 9. Central Michigan 329 (+41); 10. Western Michigan 333 (+45)

TOP FIVE INDIVIDUALS
1. Saranlak Tumfong (UT) 74 (+2); 2. Brielle Ward (NIU) 75 (+3); T3. Pimchanok Kawil (UT) 75 (+3); T3. Chloe Salort (KSU) 75 (+3); T5. Natcha Daengpiem (UT) 76 (+4); T5. Karoline Stormo (KSU) 76 (+4); T5. Hadley Moritz (BSU) 76 (+4); T5. Thitapa Pakdeesettak (KSU) 76 (+4)

TOLEDO INDIVIDUALS
1. Saranlak Tumfong 74 (+2); T3. Pimchanok Kawil 75 (+3); T5. Natcha Daengpiem 76 (+4); T9. Pinyada Kuvanun 78 (+6); T29. Thunpijja Sukkasem 82 (+10)