Coming off a ninth place finish in a competitive field of 20 teams at last weekend's Washington University-St. Louis Invitational, Saint Mary's goes into Saturday's Dutch Spring Invitational with some wind under its sails.
If the Belles are to record a top finish this weekend, they'll need strong rounds out of junior Paige Pollack and sophomore Janice Heffernan, Belles coach Jason Kolean said. Pollack leads the team with a scoring average of 82.3 strokes and finished 41st out of 112 participants at the Washington University-Saint Louis Invitational. Heffernan has posted three straight sub-85 rounds and led the Belles with a 24th place finish last weekend.
With this weekend's meet being the Belles' final tune-up before the first NCAA qualifier, Kolean said his team is focused on rounding its games into form, not its finish.
"We will be facing some quality teams at the Dutch Spring Invitational, but we just want to continue improving with each round of golf," Kolean said.
In addition to providing the Belles with one more opportunity to improve, the Dutch Spring Invitational will give Saint Mary's its first look this spring at fellow MIAA members Hope, the invitational's host, and Calvin, two of the three teams - the other is Olivet - the Belles will go up against in the three NCAA qualifiers.
Hope is coming off a second place finish at last weekend's eight-team Adrian Invitational, and Calvin slid in right behind them in the third position.
With this weekend's temperatures forecast in the 40s and the course wet from several days of rain, Kolean said the weather should play a factor at the invitational.
"The conditions may not be ideal this weekend, so we need to be mentally tough," Kolean said. "I expect all of us to be focused and play one shot at a time."
The Dutch Spring Invitational will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at Ravine Golf Club in Saugatuck, Mich.
Contact A.J. Godeaux at agodeaux@nd.edu
