The Gustavus Women’s Golf team looks toward another successful season after taking a first place finish at the Giorgianni Memorial Invite in Eau Claire, Wis., on Sept. 4 and 5. Gustavus wrapped up the two-day opening tournament with a total of 653(+73), beating out second-place finishers, conference rivals St. Olaf, by two strokes. UW-Eau Claire came in third, shooting 658(+78).
Junior Kayleigh Dittes led the team over the weekend, shooting 78-83-161 (+16) to finish fifth overall. Following closely behind, Senior Annie Jackson was able to secure a sixth place finish by firing a 78-84-162 (+17). Senior veteran Taylor Drenttel and First-year newcomer Liz Strom both had strong showings, placing thirteenth with identical scores of 81-84-165 (+20). Rounding out the team, Senior Rikka Holiday shot an 81-88-169 (+24) to land in 22nd place.
Even with a big win under their belts, they’re not pausing to celebrate for long. “The win was good to remind us that we are still at the top, but it also requires work. Nothing will be handed to us this season,” Holiday said. The team aims to build on their successes of the 2010-2011 season when they took the MIAC championship for the third consecutive year and placed runner-up at the NCAA National Tournament. This year they have their eyes set on another conference championship and the ultimate goal of taking the first-place spot at Nationals in the spring.
With four players from last year’s National Tournament squad returning, the Gusties have plenty of experience to rely on in their attempt to reach that goal. However, with seven freshmen added the roster, the dynamics of the team are expected to differ from the previous season. “Not only is the team much larger, but the personalities are much more diverse. There is also much more competition for spots. If we can use the competitiveness, while maintaining the team chemistry we had last year, we could be really successful,” said Jackson. Head Coach Scott Moe looks to returning players to transition in the large first-year class. “I think our [first-years] are very fortunate to have great leaders in Annie, Taylor and Rikka, they lead the way and are showing the gals the right way to do things and how to represent Gustavus. I look to Sam Falk and Liz Strom to be competing for spots in tournaments and providing some good scores,” Moe said.
Coach Moe is optimistic about his team’s prospects this season, but recognizes that success won’t necessarily come easily. New talent in the MIAC will provide stiffer competition for Gustavus this season, with Carleton and St. Olaf both posing potential threats. “We need to play better as a team from top to bottom, if we do that we should be in good shape, if we don’t it can be very close,” Moe said. The team appears to be ready and eager to put in the effort needed to make the season a success. “I’m excited to see all our hard work pay off. This team has the ability to shoot very low scores and that makes for a very exciting season,” said Drenttel. Moe mirrored that sentiment. “If there is anything these gals can do to make it happen, they will, they want it very bad, which is a great motivator. Should be an exciting year,” Moe said.