RAPID CITY - Oklahoma City is one of the windier cities in the United States, so it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that the four-time defending national champion Oklahoma City women's golf team fared better than most in gusty conditions at Meadowbrook Golf Course during Wednesday's second round of the 2009 NAIA Women's Golf National Championships.

The Stars were nine shots better than any other team Wednesday and now sit 17 shots in front of second-place University of British Columbia at 613 to 630. Bethel (Ind.), first-round leader California Baptist and Embry Riddle round out the top five in the team standings.

Cal Baptist's Adriana Niclotti followed up a first-round 71 with a six-over par 78 to hold the lead by one shot over Oklahoma City's Sydney Cox, who tied Lee University's Julie Donnestad with the low round of the day at 73. Donnestad and British Columbia's Lindsey Manion are tied for third at 152.

There are 20 players within 10 shots of Niclotti's two-day total of 149, with the field set to be cut after Thursday's third round to the top 17 teams and 40 individuals (including ties). Two players at 11-over par 155 are last year's individual champion, Bethel's Shanna Page and the runner-up, British Columbia's Kyla Inaba.

"It's such a rare situation where you get that kind of wind," British Columbia head coach Chris MacDonald said. "In some situations they were playing into a four-club wind. So, on a few holes it was an advantage but on most holes it was a disadvantage. I think the biggest challenge for the girls in that kind of wind is that you have to be able to play a lot of shots that you're probably not used to hitting. Experience definitely plays a role."

And MacDonald was on the money. Experience was the biggest key in the play of the Stars in the high winds. Oklahoma City head coach M.J. Desbiens was obviously a little pleased to hear about the windy conditions after Tuesday's opening round and what it meant to her team's chances.

"Knowing it will be tough conditions, very windy, almost kind of fuels our fire," Desbiens said after the opening round in anticipation of the second round conditions. That confidence was well founded as the Stars got a 73 from Cox and a 77 from Ashley Sholer. The other three Stars fired 80 and two 81s on a day when scores in the 90s were far from uncommon.

"I think we were a little excited, almost, to play today," Cox said. "I don't know, we're used to it, it was nothing that was scary whatsoever. We got out of the van and we were like we're used to this. We weren't worried at all, and I think when you know that your other teammates aren't worried everyone's going to play as well as they can."

Despite shooting a 73, Cox was a little disappointed coming in. She finished with back-to-back bogeys on her final two holes to finish over par.

"It was a great round until the end," she said. "I just got a little unlucky on 18."

Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines remained in 25th and 28th place after the second day of competition. A.J. Rolfson followed her 84 on Tuesday with an 86 Wednesday to pace the Yellow Jackets. Larissa Rantapaa led Mines with a second-round score of 108.

The third round begins today at 7:30 a.m. with tee times running until 2:30 p.m. on both the front and back nines.