NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The Carleton women's golf team improved its team score by 10 strokes on the final day of the St. Olaf/Carleton Spring Invitational Sunday at Willingers Golf Club to move up one spot and place second on the weekend. 
 
After shooting a collective 325 (+37) in Saturday's opening round the Knights came back to card a 315 (+27) on Sunday, the second-best score of any team throughout the tournament.  Carleton trailed only 10th-ranked St. Catherine, who tallied a two-day total of 624 strokes (+48) to take the crown.
 
Sophomore Mindy Zhai led the Knights in Sunday's final round.  Following a first round 84 (+12), Zhai came back with a four-over-par 76 to vault her 16 spots on the individual leaderboard and place her in a three-way tie for sixth.  The Winter Gardens, Fla., native carded a pair of birdies, taking advantage of a par five on both the front and back nine.  She went out in 37 (+1) before finishing the back nine with a three-over 39 to finish off her second-best round of the spring.
 
Junior Carter Sichol was the top finisher for the Maize and Blue for the weekend.  She tied for second with a two-round total of 155 strokes (+11).  She fired an opening-round 77 (+5) on Saturday and concluded her tournament with a consistent 78 (+6) on Sunday.  A steady round, Sichol opened with a three-over 39 on the front before carding a matching 39 on the back.
 
Junior Sarah Zheng used a nearly flawless front nine to post an eight-over-par 80 to earn her sole possession of 31st in the individual standings.  A double-bogey on the par-four fourth hole was the only blemish on the card during her two-over-par 38 at the turn.  Fellow junior Cynthia Lu followed with a nine-over 81 in Sunday's final round.  She paired that with an opening round 84 (+12) to earn a tie for 24th individually, while senior Olivia Siebert closed out the weekend in 21st after an 83 (+11) on Sunday. 
 
First-year Anna Lee and junior Natalie Tatar each competed as individuals this weekend.  Lee finished 22nd after carding a final round 80 (+8) that included a pair of birdies.  Tatar opened Sunday's loop with a clean card on the front nine.  With eight pars and a birdie on the par-four eighth, she was one-under at the turn before coming home in 43 to capture a six-over-par 78, tying her best round of the spring and placing her 24th on the weekend.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will be back in action for its final tournament of the regular season, competing in the St. Catherine-Carleton Invitational.  Saturday's opening round will take place in Maple Grove, Minn., at Rush Creek Golf Club before finishing the event in Lake City, Minn., at The Jewell Golf Club.