Saint Mary’s is wrapping up their season, posting nine first-place finishes thus far. Belles‘ head coach Kim Moore described this season as “one of the most accomplished seasons in Saint Mary‘s golf history.”
The Belles started their season off well, shooting a team score of 293 to break the College and MIAA Conference 18-hole record in late September. They are approaching the end of the season on a similarly high note, with five players earning First Team All-MIAA Conference honors, filling almost all of the six available spots for the honor.
The Belles have benefited greatly from the leadership of senior Taylor Kehoe this season.
“Kehoe has brought consistency to this team this year,” Moore said. “She is constantly in a scoring role for this team and her leadership was evident throughout the season. Losing a senior like Taylor is always a hard thing for a program, but we've had some great underclassmen leadership this year and I have no doubt those ladies will step up and fill that void.”
One of those underclassmen leader is Taylor Kehoe’s younger sister, Hunter, who won the MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Week title seven times this season, breaking a record for the team.
“Hunter’s record breaking … has been such a great boost for our team,” Moore said. “Hunter has been a huge leader on the course for this team and her weekly play is something that all of our players try to emulate. She has shown that she is a dominant force in our conference and only being a sophomore her room for growth is exciting. Hunter is the type of player that steps up to the first team in every tournament she plays in, expecting to win. Regardless of the accolades she earns, she will always have this mentality and that is why she is such a great player for this team.”
While the Belles have built an impressive campaign this spring, they are not finished yet — they headed to Bay Oaks Country Club in Houston, Texas, to compete in the NCAA Division III championship, which began Tuesday and wraps up Friday.
“We plan to go to the NCAA Division III Championships and represent Saint Mary‘s College, the MIAA Conference and our Belles Golf Program to the best of our abilities,” Moore said. ”It is such an honor to get the chance to play in a championship like this and we are so excited.”
