Teddy Kaste-
The Gustavus Women’s Golf Team wrapped up their season this past weekend at St. Cloud Country Club in the MIAC Women’s golf championship. The Women finished 5th place in a field of 10 teams. St. Kate’s won the tournament by an extraordinarily wide margin of 31 shots, completely dominating the tournament. Carelton and Bethel finished 2nd and 3rd, respectively.
Gustavus started the tournament with consistent, solid golf. Sophomore Maren Masters, Sophomore Riley Zebroski, and First-year Kenna Henriksen all turned in rounds of 82 in the first round of the tournament. Junior Jenna Peipkorn shot an 84 to total a team score of 330 and put the Gusties solidly in 5th after the first round.
Gustavus’ Women experienced a bit of a downturn in round 2. Zebroski improved on her first-round score, shooting an 80 in round 2, and Junior Lauren Hubbart fired an 83 to contribute to the team’s score. Others struggled due to windy conditions and extremely fast greens, and Gustavus’ women shot a 338 in round 2, remaining in 5th place.
The Gusties finished strong in the 3rd and final round of the tournament as Hubbart played another good round shooting a 78, while Zebroski shot a 79. Masters shot an 81, while Henriksen shot an 82 for a final team tally of 321, their lowest of the tournament by 9 shots and a strong finish for Gustavus’ women to take 5th place at the MIAC championship, finishing 35 shots better than the 6th place St. Benedict, burying the Bennies.
Hubbart finished 2nd on the team and 21st overall, shooting rounds of 87-83-78. Hubbart improved her score each round of the tournament, finishing very strong with a team-low 77 on the final day. When asked what she attributes this steady improvement to, Hubbart stated “Over the course of the tournament, I felt more comfortable and confident going into the next day. The first days of tournaments can be tougher without having played the course before but by the third day, I knew what to expect on the course. Our goal as a team was to finish in the top 5 and we were able to do that which was great!”
The MIAC championship is considered the most important tournament of the fall season, and with that can come some added pressure. Piepkorn said of the tournament, “Competing in the MIAC championship felt much like any other golf tournament as each one has its own challenges. This season, I brought grit, hard work, determination, and commitment to every tournament. The St. Cloud Country Club was a challenging course but I still had a lot of fun each day playing my game. The only difference on this course compared to others were the thousands of gnats flying into your face.”
The golf season went by quickly, as the golfers arrived on campus in late August, and played tournaments every weekend until this final tournament. Piepkorn said of the season, “When I reflect on the Fall 2024 golf season, I think of it as a rollercoaster ride. Some weekends were fantastic while others weren’t. However, I learned to navigate my struggles and come back even stronger. This season helped me get closer with my teammates and our amazing assistant coach, Sarah Wolter. We came up with various strategies to focus our mental side of the game. These moments of fun made the hard work worthwhile reminding me that golf isn’t just about competition, it’s also about making memories.”
For Gustavus’ Women’s Golf Team, the conclusion of the MIAC championship marks the finish line of yet another Fall golf season. With outdoor golf being impossible during the Minnesota winter, the Women will look to hone their skills on indoor golf simulators during the winter. The Gustie Women Golfers will be back to competing in Sspring of 2025.