After finishing 10th at the O’Brien National Invitational, the Belles will compete in the DePauw Small College Classic this weekend at Deer Creek Golf Club in Clayton, Indiana, before beginning conference play the following week.

Despite not finishing higher in their last tournament, the Belles are confident that they will find a way to rebound, according to Belles coach Kim Moore.

“First off, I am extremely happy on [our] efforts to turn around their scores for day two this weekend,” Moore said. “Everyone improved on their day one scores, which is exactly what I’m looking for in every event. The beauty of having a young team is that they are all excited to get back out there and play in the next event. I am looking forward to a great week of practice, and I’m confident that our work this week will lead to a good bounce back at DePauw.”

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Saint Mary’s competed against some of the top teams in the country when it hosted the O’Brien National Invitational, including last year’s national champions, Rhodes, and Washington University in St. Louis, who are both ranked first in their respective regions.

Turning the Belles’ focus on this weekend’s tournament, Moore said winning the MIAA comes with playing in as many tournaments as possible and that playing against top teams only makes the team better.

“I feel that every tournament we play in is great preparation for our MIAA conference play,” Moore said. “As any PGA golf professional would say, the best way to prepare for any golf tournament is to play more golf tournaments. This weekend we will see a few conference opponents, and it will be a great way for us to see how well we compare to them.”

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At the front of the Belles’ charge will be senior Janice Heffernan, who has led Saint Mary’s at both of the competitions so far this season and earned MIAA Golfer of the Week on Sept. 1. As the lone senior on the team, Moore said her work ethic on and off the field is what has helped get her to where she is today as the leader of the team.

“I am not surprised with Janice Heffernan’s success this season,” Moore said. “She has consistently improved her game from year to year, and I did not think this year would be different. Her success is directly related to the hard work she puts in at practice on a daily basis. She is an extremely focused individual, and it shows not only in her golf game but in her academics. You need to have a great deal of self-discipline to excel at this sport, and the self-discipline Janice has shown will be extremely helpful in her future nursing career.”

Heffernan will lead the Belles as they compete in the DePauw Small College Classic on Saturday and Sunday at the Deer Creek Golf Course in Clayton, Indiana.

Tags: Janice Heffernan, Kim Moore, SMC Golf