In the final Jamboree of the regular season, Saint Mary's put together a rout of its MIAA competition with a 20-stroke victory at Lenawee Country Club in Adrian, Mich. The Belles shattered the previous course record with a two-day total of 325, 12 shots lower than the one set in 2008 by Olivet.
"It was a pretty substantial win," Belles coach Mark Hamilton said. "It was in adverse conditions, and the players really stepped up."
Saint Mary's battled the rain, cold and the wind, and was still able to put up one of its lowest scores of the season.
Hamilton said that the mental aspect of the game was the major factor in the Belles' superior performance.
"It was not letting the adverse conditions affect us," Hamilton said. "That mindset has helped us several times this season."
Senior Rosie O'Connell posted her lowest round of the season with a 78 and turned in a round-leading three birdies, earning a medal for Saint Mary's in the process. Senior Mary Kate Boyce was just two strokes behind and finished second overall. Freshman Doyle O'Brien finished with an 83, and freshmen Marin Beagley and Paige Pollack turned in scores of 84 and 92, respectively.
Up next for Saint Mary's is the MIAA Championship at Bedford Valley Golf Course this weekend. The Belles will be the No. 1 seed, entering the tournament with a 331 stroke average.
"I still see room for improvement because we have a young team," Hamilton said. "We want to be ranked in the top ten teams in the country going into the winter."
