RICHMOND, Ky. - Coach Joni Stephens' Eastern Kentucky University women's golf team closed the 2000 spring season last weekend with a fourth-place finish at the Ohio Valley Conference Golf Tournament.

Host Tennessee Tech took the team title with a score of 946, 27 strokes better than Murray State and Austin Peay, who each came in with final tallies of 973 and tied for second place. EKU was just two strokes back at 975. Eastern Illinois rounded out the tourney with a team score of l,053.

Eastern went into the final round in second place, but lost eight strokes to Murray State and 15 to Austin Peay during the last 18 holes, upsetting coach Stephens.

"We are really disappointed with our finish. We had positioned ourselves in good shape after two rounds, but our fourth and fifth golfers did not come through and we lost a couple of spots in the final standings," Stephens said.

Senior Michelle Biro, a native of Kalamazoo, MI, finished her career in grand style by leading Eastern's contingent with a third-place finish at 238. Her sister, Jackie, a junior, was next at 242, tied for eighth. Junior Colleen Yaeger tied for 11^th at 245, followed by sophomore Kelli Wilson at 255 and junior Krissie Kirby at 256.

"I was really happy for Michelle to play her last tournament for us like that. She was a steady player for us throughout her career and had a great tournament at the OVC championship," said Stephens.