The University of Tennessee at Martin golfers finished 11th in the three-round Billiken Invitational earlier this week at Gateway National Golf Course in Madison, Ill.

The Skyhawks shot a 937.

Southern Illinois won the 12-team tournament with an 892, while host Saint Louis University was second with an 894.

"Our golfers played as well as they could," said Jerry Carpenter, Tennessee-Martin's second-year head golf coach. "The weather conditions, namely the wind made things difficult."

The teams played the first two rounds in extremely cold temperatures and about a 15-mile per hour wind. The third and final round of the tournament was played with 30-mile per hour wind gusts.

"We need to learn how to cope with the weather conditions and adjust our game to compensate for the wind."

Carpenter said his golfers enjoyed playing at Gateway National, a par-71 course that covers 6,739 yards.

The Skyhawks shot 3-1 in the first round and found themselves tied for sixth place. In the second round the Skyhawks carded a 310. In the final round, they shot 326. The Skyhawks finished 85-over par.

Senior Scott Carpenter, from Martin, led the Skyhawks with his 23rd-place finish.

Carpenter shot a 231, 18-over par. Sophomore Reise Kelly, from Nashville, finished tied for 28th. Kelly carded a 19-over par, 232.

Rounding out the scorecard for the Skyhawks were Trey McNeil with a 236 (tied for 41st), Hunter Prescott with a 238 (tied for 48th) and Jason Bell with a 250 (64th).

The Skyhawks return to action April 26-28 in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.