COLUMBUS, Ind. - The Marian women's golf team began the Crossroads League Championship on a high note Monday, as the Knights opened up an 18-stroke lead on the field after 36 holes of play. Marian's strong outing was highlighted by Emma Weiler and Maria Kennard, who each finished the day as the co-leaders.

Marian opened play on Monday with a strong first round, battling varying wind conditions and light moments of rain, collecting a 307 total in the first 18 holes. The team's 307 opened a 10-shot lead over Grace College, while Indiana Wesleyan closed the first round in third with a 320.

The Knights persevered through the weather in the second round, getting better as the day progressed, firing a collective 297 in the second round. The scoring brought the team total to a 604, which gave the Knights an 18-shot advantage over the Wildcats, as Indiana Wesleyan fired a 302 in the round to end with a 622 total.

Behind Marian and Indiana Wesleyan, Grace sits in third place with a 636, while Bethel and Huntington are in fourth at 654. 

Individually, Emma Weiler and Maria Kennard led Marian in the opening round, each firing a 76 to tie for second after 18 holes. Jordan Adam also joined the duo, tying for second with a 76, while Keara Eder finished the first round with a 79, holding ninth place. Hailey Kirkland's score in the first round was an 83, good for a top-15 spot. 

In the second round, Eder had Marian's top individual score, ripping a 73 to end the day in third place with a 152 total. Emma Weiler and Maria Kennard finished the day with a 74, as each player matched a 150 to share the co-leader position. Kirkland's second-round score of 76 counted in Marian's team score in round two, as she ended the day tied for 12th with her 159 total. Jordan Adam finished the day tied for fifth overall, with her 77 score in the second round bringing her total to 153. 

Tuesday's final round is slated to begin at 8:40 a.m., with Hailey Kirkland teeing off the first hole to lead off the final 18 holes.

MUKnights.com: Your online source for Marian Athletics, tickets, multimedia, Knight merchandise, photos and more.