IOWA CITY, Iowa – Illinois State carded a final-round 290 – the second-lowest in the field on the day – as the Birds climbed two spots into second at the finish of the tournament, closing as the runner-up at the 2025 Hawkeye Invite at Finkbine Golf Course.
The Redbirds passed tournament host Iowa and 40th-ranked Little Rock into the runner-up spot, finishing just behind 50th-ranked Kansas at the finish of the tournament. Kansas carded a team score of 837, with the Redbirds behind with an 856. Iowa (857), Little Rock (864), South Dakota State (878), Minnesota (879), Northern Illinois (881), Kansas City (899), Drake (899), North Dakota State (900), Southern Illinois (903), Wichita State (904), and Missouri State (906) rounded out the 13 schools in the tournament field.