By Ashley Kouba

April 13, 2016

The women’s golf team kicked off its spring season April 8 in the Trine University Spring Classic in Angola, Indiana, at the Zollner Golf Course.

The Warhawks combined for a total of 364 strokes on the day, good enough for a ninth-place finish out of 13 teams. Their total was only two strokes shy of a tie for seventh place. Taking home the win was Hope College with a total of 322 strokes.

The tournament was cut down to just one day of competition when Saturday’s second round was cancelled due to bad weather.

“Friday at Trine University was the most extreme conditions I have ever been a part of,” head coach Brett Weber said. ”[There was] two inches of snow on the greens, most of the teams we competed against have played some already and have been outside. Not the same for us.”

Leading the Warhawks was freshman Rebekah Donner. Donner totaled 84 for the tournament, good enough to take home eighth in a field of 71 competitors.

Placing for the Warhawks was junior Stephanie Stair, shooting 89 and finishing in a tie for 29th overall, and freshman Kaitlin Bowe, shooting 91 and finishing in 36th place.

“This weekend was one to remember,” Donner said. “I would describe it with my favorite quote ‘expect the unexpected’ and I stand for that to be true throughout the rest of the season. You are playing against more than just your opponent. You are playing the course, the weather and most of all yourself.”

The team ended their fall season by taking third at the WIAC Championships, their best finish since the 2012-13 season. Weber looks to continue to build on their fall performance heading into the spring.

“We had some nice performances from a wide arrange of lady Warhawks,” Weber said. “Some of our place finishes were solid, but as a team and a whole, it was not where we wanted to be and finish. For the spring it’s all about building some momentum and confidence. We have mixed up our lineup a bit from the fall for a few reasons. Mostly because of some new faces and some players have worked hard in the offseason.”

Joining an already young team this semester is transfer freshman Maddie McCue, who formerly played for the University of North Dakota, a Division I team.

“She is an instant contributor for us and shows lots of promise and potential,” Weber said. “So it will be nice to see her play and in action. Our freshman class has got me excited for the coming years based on their abilities and desire to be good at a high level. They are eager to win and want to push each other to the top. I’m excited to see how they progress, as we have not had a freshman class this deep and talented in quite some time.”

The Warhawks also competed Sunday against Carroll College, winning 350-347. Next on the schedule is the Illinois Wesleyan Spring Fling this weekend in Normal, Illinois, at the Ironwood Golf Course.