Saint Mary's stayed in the middle of the MIAA pack Wednesday with a score of 335 and a third-place finish on the third day of tournament competition.
The Belles finished the day six strokes off the leader, Olivet College, which totaled a score of 329. Hope College placed second with a score of 334, one shot ahead of Saint Mary's. Saint Mary's beat the fourth-place team, Calvin College, by seven strokes to jump ahead to third place in the overall MIAA Jamboree standings.
Belles coach Mark Hamilton said one of the advantages the Belles had Wednesday that helped to improve their scores was playing on the team's home course, Blackthorn Golf Course in South Bend, Ind.
"We felt a little bit more comfortable going into the round," Hamilton said. "For some players it contributed to shooting a little better and for other players it didn't make as much of a difference as we expected."
The mixed results came on the heels of a busy schedule for the Belles, who completed three matches since Sept. 20, Hamilton said.
"We have had a whirlwind over the last few weeks," he said. "Between school and golf, the ladies have been under a lot of duress and we hope that we can now take a step back and improve our golf games."
The Belles will travel next to play at Adrian College's home course, Lewanee Country Club, on Oct. 6. Hamilton said the Belles have plenty of time between now and the next match to improve. After three rounds of tournament golf completed within a week, now the Belles have an opportunity to step back and address concerns before the next competition, Hamilton said.
"Some of the keys are to work on some mechanical issues and just improve our golf IQ," the coach said. "We will be playing a lot of golf to work on situational golf between now and our next match."
The Belles will travel to Lewanee Golf Course on Oct. 6 for the final MIAA Jamboree before the season-ending two rounds, which will begin Oct. 12. Saint Mary's will try to use the upcoming event to make a push towards the top of the MIAA standings before the finale.
