The Belles finished second at the first MIAA NCAA qualifier, scoring a season-best 329. Olivet. the fall season conference champions,.beat out Saint Mary’s by four strokes.
Junior Janice Heffernan and sophomore Claire Boyle led the charge for the Belles, scoring 80 and 81 respectively. In addition, senior captains Alexi Brown and Paige Pollack shot an 83 and an 85 respectively.
Sophomore Sammie Averill was the fifth eligible golfer for Saint Mary’s and she contributed to the Belles’ success with an 89. Sophomore Katie Zielinski and freshmen Ali Mahoney, Courtney Carlson and Rachel Kim all competed as individuals. Zielinski scored the lowest of the individual competitors, shooting an 87 to finish 11th overall.
The Belles still have a chance to claim a spot in the Division III NCAA Championships in May if they can score lower than any other MIAA team through all three rounds. If they qualify, it would be the fifth time in the last six years that the Belles qualified for the NCAA Championships with their highest finishing being fourth in both 2012 and 2011.
As of now, Olivet holds the top spot in the MIAA with junior Adrienne Plourde as its top golfer. Plourde shot a one-over-par 73 to win the medal in the individual competition. After Olivet and the Belles, Trine sits at third with a score of 359, and Calvin in fourth with a score of 374.
The second round of Saint Mary’s MIAA NCAA qualifier will be Saturday, and the third round of the MIAA NCAA qualifier will begin Sunday in Marshall, Mich. ,with tee-time at 12:30 p.m. both days.
