WOODBURY, Minn. – The Carleton women's golf team leads an MIAC heavy field after Saturday's opening round of the St. Kate's Invitational at Eagle Valley Golf Club. 
 
Eight of the league's 10 women's golf teams are a part of the 12-team field, which the Knights lead by four strokes.  Carleton holds the top two spots on the individual leaderboard as well, as first-year Kate Yi carded a two-under-par 70.  Senior Carter Sichol sits directly behind Yi after an opening round of 71 (-1). 
 
Yi, who is competing as an individual this weekend and teed off on the par-five 10th hole on Saturday, kept a clean card through her opening nine holes, including a birdie on the par-five 14th to head out in a one-under 36.  Back-to-back birdies on the sixth and seventh sent her to three-under.  She had a bogey-free round going through 17 holes before a bogey on the last solidified the best round of her young collegiate career. 
 
Sichol recorded her third round under par of the fall with a one-under 71.  She is currently tied for second on the individual leaderboard.  A string of three consecutive birdies highlighted her round on Saturday.  One-over-par through eight holes, the Winnetka, Ill., native played the par-four ninth, par-five 10th, and par-four 11th in a collective three-under with three straight birdies. 
 
Junior Mindy Zhai is the next Carleton player on the individual leaderboard in a tie for ninth following an opening round 75 (+3).  A pair of birdies over the final five holes helped close her round on a high note and solidify her spot in the top 10.
 
Seniors Sarah Zheng and Cynthia Lu, along with sophomore Anna Lee are all tied for 14th after posting matching scores of 76 (+4).  Lu recorded a pair of birdies during her round, while Zheng and Lee tallied one each.  Senior Natalie Tatar carded a six-over-par 78 to sit in a tie for 22nd and first-year Nicole Zhang shot 85 (+13) to tie for 50th and round out the Knights competing this weekend. 
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will be back on the course tomorrow for the final round of the St. Kate's Invite in Edina, Minn., at Braemar Golf Course.