After a signature win in the Dan Quayle Match Play Invitational at DePauw University, the Saint Mary’s golf team was back in action, this time in Eureka, Missouri.
The Belles spent the weekend competing in the Washington University Spring Invite alongside 12 other teams. The field included No. 4 Washington University in Saint Louis, the host of the tournament.
Day One
On the first day of the two-day competition, the Belles tied for fifth overall. Sophomore Katelyn Tokarz had the best outing for the team, shooting 79, good enough for 12th in the field. Close behind was freshman Julia Lizak who finished in 17th with an 81.Seniors Katherine Hopkins and Isa Patacsil both shot 84, which left them tied for 30th. Fellow senior Erin Bennett was just one shot behind in a tie for 35th.
Washington University held the first team spot with a combined score of 306, while No. 15 Illinois Wesleyan finished in second, eight strokes behind at 314. A bit further back at 324 was No. 11 St. Catherine University, and at a total score of 326 was No. 24 Grinnell College.
The Belles tied with Washington University's second team at 328. It was nearly a three-way tie as Rose-Hulman had a team score of 329.
Day Two
The Belles played better on day two, improving from 328 to 315 for a combined score of 643. It was enough to break their tie with Washington University's second team who finished at 647.It was also enough to leapfrog them over Grinnell College who shot 319 on day two for a total of 645.
After having the best day-one outing, Katelyn Tokarz shot an 81 and fell into a tie for 15th (160). Included in the tie was Lizak who improved by two shots (79).
Hopkins, who shot an 84 on day one, significantly improved on day two, finishing with 77 for a total of 161, which allowed her to finish in a tie for 19th. Patacsil, who had tied with Hopkins on day one, scored 84 again and totaled 168. That dropped her seven spots into a tie at 37th.
Bennett, who had the lowest finish for the Belles on day one, shot 78, seven strokes better than her first outing. The improvement shot her up nine places on the standings. She was the second biggest mover behind Hopkins, who moved up 11 places.
A fourth-place finish is excellent for the Belles, considering the number of ranked Division III opponents they faced, including Grinnell College, who they beat by two strokes.
The team will now have a break before competing in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association NCAA Automatic Qualifier Tournament. The tournament features the top four teams in the MIAA and gives the winner an automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The competition, comprised of three legs spread across three separate days, kicks off next Tuesday at the Elbel Park Golf Course in South Bend.
The last time the Belles competed in the MIAA AQ in 2022, they finished in first place on all three days, scoring 326, 323 and 311. Day one of the tournament is currently slated for a tee time of 1:00 p.m.