LAKELAND, Fla.- The Ave Maria University men's golf team completed the fall schedule this week, playing at the Southeastern University Invitational in Lakeland. Held at The Grasslands Golf and Country Club, the event featured six schools currently ranked among the top 15 teams in the nation. The Gyrenes, who are ranked 41st in the nation by Clippd, finished seventh of the ten teams, ahead of St. Thomas, New College, and Florida College.

Marissa Spreitzer started well for the Gyrenes in the first round on Monday, leading Ave Maria with a 77 that included three birdies. Gracie Milam also made three birdies, and finished with a score of 84. Morgan Hicks was third among Gyrenes with a score of 87, while Ave Maria's team score of 338 was rounded out by Maya Berglund, who carded a 90.

Milam and Berglund led the way for the Gyrenes in the second round, with both players carding scores of 82, an improvement on the first round for both players. Spreitzer was third among Ave Maria players with an 84, and Hicks rounded out the team score with a round of 86. With three of the four players carding lower scores, the Gyrenes shaved four strokes off their team score, finishing with a 334.

Ave Maria's score in the final round was their best of the week, with the Gyrenes carding a 333. Milam posted AMU's best round of the week, a four over 76 that featured five birdies. Hicks also carded her best round of the week, finishing with an 82. Berglund finished her week with a round of 87, while both Spreitzer and Grace Wiggins finished the day with scores of 88.

Milam was AMU's top player in Lakeland, finishing in the top half of the field with a score of 242. Led by her opening round 77, Spreitzer was next with an overall score of 249. Hicks was third among Gyrenes with a score of 255 that saw her total decrease in each of the three rounds. Berglund checked in with a 54 hole score of 259, and Wiggins rounded out the effort with a 271.

The nation's top team, the Keiser Seahawks, rolled to a 24-shot victory in Lakeland, led by a five under par score in the second round. SCAD Savannah, who had a five shot lead after the first round, finished second. The individual race came down to the wire, with Keiser's Mohea Mansbendel winning by one stroke. Mansbendel, the sixth ranked player in the nation, finished one shot ahead of SCAD Savannah's Isabela Cuisana, ranked 24th, and Keiser teammate Carolin Alblas, ranked second.

The Southeastern University Invitational served as the last of Ave Maria's four tournaments during the fall season. Ave Maria will resume play after the first of the year, with the full schedule to be announced. The spring season will prepare the Gyrenes for the toughest conference tournament in NAIA golf, The Sun Conference Championships, which are scheduled for April 26-29 at the Pine Lakes Course at Jekyll Island Golf Club in Georgia.