The Saint Mary’s golf team will start its fall season this weekend at the Cross Town Rivalry Tournament, looking to build on a fourth-place finish in MIAA play in the spring.
“We have a great core group of upperclassmen this year starting with our two seniors, Katie Zielinski and Sammie Averill,” Belles head coach Kim Moore said. “Their experience in competition as well as their off-the-course experience is so valuable to the success of our team. We also have three juniors in the mix, Courtney Carlson, Ali Mahoney and Rachel Kim, who have all come in this season with a wealth of playing experience that will help to guide our underclassmen.”
Moore also said the team has brought a different edge to their fall preparations.
“I think this year's team is more focused than ever,” Moore said.“I think we have a lot of talented players, and I'm really excited to get the fall started.”
September 5-6, the Belles will compete in the Olivet Labor Day Invite at the Medalist Golf Course in Marshall, Michigan, and the following weekend the Belles host the O’Brein National Invitational at Knollwood Country Club.
The rest of the events on the Belles' fall schedule are the MIAA’s five jamborees to determine who has a chance to claim the conference's NCAA tournament bid in the spring. Olivet will host the first jamboree September 23 at the Medalist Golf Course. Kalamazoo will host the second jamboree September 26 at Milham Park Golf Course. Calvin will host the third jamboree October 1 at Thornapple Pointe Golf Course and Trine will host the fourth jamboree at Zollner Golf Course on October 3. The fifth and final jamboree is the MIAA End of Season Weekend Jamboree on October 9-10. It will be hosted by Adrian at Bedford Valley Golf Course.
“I expect our conference to be tight from the top four teams, and I expect our team to be right up there as well,” Moore said. “I am really looking forward to our event in September, The O'Brien National Invite. We have invited teams from the top 15 in the nation to South Bend to play in our annual event that is always ranked by GolfStat as one of the top five tournaments in the nation. I expect the field this year will not disappoint.”
First-round play in the Cross Town Rivalry Tournament will take place at the Belles' home course of Knollwood Country Club on Friday at 2 p.m., and second round action will be Saturday at Elbel Golf Course at 12 p.m.
