Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
Lady Red Wolves Classic
Salukis Take Positives from Lady Red Wolves Classic
10/13/2026 | 6:55:00 | Women's Golf
JONESBORO, Ark. – Southern Illinois women's golf wrapped up play Tuesday at the Lady Red Wolves Classic at Sage Meadows Country Club.
The Salukis finished 11th in the team standings at 27-over par. SIU opened the tournament at four-over before posting rounds of 17-over and six-over to close out the two-day event.
Kayla Sayyalinh led Southern Illinois with a strong performance, finishing tied for 12th individually at 1-under par for the tournament.
Head coach Samantha Sambursky was especially encouraged by Sayyalinh's performance after she dealt with an injury earlier in the year.
"I'm really excited to see Kayla have some breakthrough rounds after being injured earlier this year," Sambursky said.
Poppy Norcott finished tied for 43rd at 7-over, while Mackenzie Thomas finished tied for 54th at 11-over. Sambursky also highlighted the way both players responded mentally during the final round.
"Poppy and Mackenzie had a mental breakthrough to come back after getting a few over par with some bogeys today," Sambursky said.
Maria Eugenia Peres finished tied for 58th at 12-over, while Zeme Moore finished tied for 71st at 18-over. Calli Smith also finished tied for 71st at 18-over while competing as an individual.
Sambursky said the Salukis showed consistency with their ball striking throughout the event but still have areas to clean up before returning to competition next week.
"As a team we played very consistent with our ball striking," Sambursky said. "We've got some work to clean up our short game before next week. Overall, two rounds breaking 300 is absolutely something to build off of going to next week."
Here is how the Salukis finished:
- Team: 11th, +27
- Kayla Sayyalinh: T-12, -1
- Poppy Norcott: T-43, +7
- Mackenzie Thomas: T-54, +11
- Maria Eugenia Peres: T-58, +12
- Zeme Moore: T-71, +18
- Calli Smith (Individual): T-71, +18
UP NEXT
Southern Illinois returns to action next week at Charles Braun Jr. Intercollegiate in Evansville, Ind.
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For the latest updates on the Salukis, follow the team on X (@SIU_WGolf), Facebook (@Saluki Women's Golf), and Instagram (@siu_wgolf).
