West Chicago, Ill. -- After a week away from the links, the Wheaton women's golf team returned to competition on Wednesday morning when it took the short drive over to St. Andrews Golf Club for Benedictine University's Fall Invitational. The Thunder competed against 21 other squads in today's single-round tournament, and Wheaton came in 14th place in the team standings. Of the five Thunder golfers who took part in the invitational, freshman Abby Crutchley had the group's top round, earning a T-38th finish on the 125-player leaderboard.

Aurora University finished atop the team standings in today's 22-squad event by a noteworthy 22-stroke margin via a combined mark of 309. Wheaton carded a total team score of 374 to place 14th in the field, finishing the competition two shots behind Joliet Junior College and two strokes ahead of Marian University's 'B' squad in 15th.

Crutchley was one of five players from five different programs to register an 18-hole mark of 88 to secure her Top 40 finish in the solo standings this afternoon. Her fellow newcomers Ava Hartnett and Emma Lee entered the clubhouse as part of a six-way tie for 56th place with an identical round score of 91.

The junior pair of Abby Smith and Molly Holbert carded scores of 104 and 106, respectively, to round out the Thunder's competing lineup on Wednesday.

Wheaton again has the upcoming weekend off from competition and will return to play at the CCIW Preview next Tuesday in Metamora. As the designated host program of this year's CCIW Championship, Wheaton is also the de facto host of next week's preview competition, which will be held at the same course as the conference championship in central Illinois.