Although they did not take home first place honors in their first match outdoor match of the spring, the Belles' performance at the George Fox Invitational earned a mark in the record books as senior co-captain Mary Kate Boyce shot a school-record 66 in the first day of the two-day tournament.
"Shooting 66 on Friday was pretty thrilling; it was even more thrilling having my parents there to witness the round," Boyce said. "I got on a roll early and was able to keep it going through the entire 18 holes. You don't really believe it can happen until you're standing on the 18th green signing your scorecard."
Boyce was quick to credit Belles coach Mark Hamilton and her teammates for carrying the team to their second place finish. Junior Natalie Matuszak also had an outstanding performance for the Belles, shooting a 79 and 81 over the two days, respectively.
"My coach provided a great pep talk prior to the round about staying positive, and it really helped me," Boyce said. "Each player on our team gave a great effort. We saw we have a lot of depth and are excited to see where it will take us."
Saint Mary's was in control of first place after shooting a 302 on Friday, but the weather on Saturday provided a challenge for the Belles, and they fell to host George Fox, 623-616.
"George Fox's team was able to play really consistently," Boyce said. "Saturday there was a lot of wind, and they were able to score well despite the conditions. We all gave it our best shot, but they came out on top. We are hoping to have the chance to compete against them again and get our revenge."
Boyce said it was nice to compete outdoors, even though the weather proved to be an obstacle for Saint Mary's.
"Playing outside was a blast," she said. "It gave us a burst of energy and will help us practice hard through the bad weather back in South Bend. We really enjoyed the sun and desert."
Despite not coming home with the victory, Boyce said the Belles learned more about their team as they head into the remainder of the spring season.
"While we were disappointed not to win, we saw a lot of potential in our team," Boyce said. "Each player showed improvement this week, and we must work to continue to improve."
The Belles will travel to Texas Apr. 4 to compete in Southwestern University's spring invitational.
