Saint Mary’s opened its season this weekend at the Cross Town Rivalry at Erskine Park Golf Club, where the Belles competed against Holy Cross and Bethel and finished second.
Belles’ head coach Kim Johnson said the meet will serve as a solid building block for the rest of the season going forward.
“I felt the Cross Town Rivalry was a great opening to our season,” Johnson said. “The second-place finish wasn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but I was pleased with our team’s overall total. I felt that total was a decent start to the season. It is a great way to build some confidence going into some of our future events.”
The Belles had an overall team score of 46-over-par 326. Bethel shot a 29-over-par 309 to win the event while Holy Cross finished third with a 52-over-par 332.
Friday’s contest was the first collegiate event for freshmen Lauren Read, Julia McAlindon, Kaitlyn Gray and Emily Besler. Read led the freshmen with an 83. Johnson said she was especially happy with the rounds her younger golfers put together.
“I was definitely happy with the performance of our young freshman,” Johnson said. “They did not let the nerves of their first collegiate tournament effect their overall score. It was nice to see three of the four under 90, with the fourth right at 90. I was very confident going into this event that our freshman could have a big impact on our team score and they definitely lived up to my expectations. I have no doubt that after a few tournaments under their belts they will only get better.”
Outside of the four freshmen, junior Kaitlyn Carone led the Belles by shooting an 80 and Johnson said Carone’s work over the summer paid off on the course over the weekend.
“I was extremely pleased by Kaitlyn Cartone’s performance at this event,” Johnson said. “However, I was not surprised. She has been working hard this summer, and it has definitely shown. Her individual score of 80 not only lead our team, but was also her collegiate best tournament score. She is a leader on our team and this start to her season just exemplifies that leadership. I expect some good things from her this year.”
The Belles were scheduled to play against Bethel in a match-play competition Saturday, but that event was cancelled. Saint Mary’s will return to action next weekend at the Olivet Labor Day Invite at the Medalist Golf Club in Marshall, Michigan.
