MANSFIELD, Ohio – Sophomore Melissa Burtscher's 88 led The College of Wooster women's golf team in the opening round of the North Coast Athletic Conference Championships, which is taking place this weekend at the always challenging par-73, 5,834-yard Westbrook Country Club. Wooster sits in fourth-place at 385, four strokes ahead of fifth-place Wittenberg University.

Burtscher steadied her play five holes in, as the sophomore's first par of the day came on the par-4, 318-yard 14th hole. That momentum led to a birdie on the par-4, 316-yard 15th hole, and Burtscher went on to play the final five holes of the back-nine at even-par. After making the turn to the front-nine, Burtscher scored birdies on the par-5, 406-yard third hole and the par-3, 128-yard sixth hole. Burtscher is tied for sixth-place.

Senior Kayla Audette's par-three play kept her in the early running for a top-15 showing. Audette is currently tied for 14th-place after a 94. The neuroscience major pared the lone par-3 on the back-nine, which is where Friday's women's championship started. On the front-nine, Audette sank a par putt on the sixth hole and also had a par on No. 4, a 306-yard par-four hole.

First-year Ally Siewert debuted at the NCAC Championships with a 101, which was the 21st-place score on the day. Senior Meghan Wright and junior Riley Thorr were a stroke back at 102, which is tied for 22nd-place.

Conference favorite Denison University is well ahead of the field after a 318. DePauw University is in second-place at 353, while Allegheny College occupies third-place after a 369. The Big Red's Sophia Alexander is the clubhouse leader after a 2-under-par 71.

The second round of the 54-hole championship takes place on Saturday. The women will start on hole one.