On Monday, the Saint Mary’s golf team won its second straight event, capturing the season’s third Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Jamboree. Coming off a team victory in the second jamboree, the Belles were looking to build on their early in-conference success. They would end up doing just that, tying their season low 18-hole score of 312 and earning another top-ranked finish. Following the two victories, the Belles are now first in the conference and are looking to finish the season strong.
Senior Amanda Melling led the Belles with a second-place finish. Melling sank four birdies, including three straight on holes five through seven, propelling her to a score of 72, one under par for the event. This performance was the lowest 18-hole score of Melling’s collegiate career.
After a first place individual finish last week, Melanie Maier continued her strong sophomore season by tying for fourth in Monday’s event. Shooting 39 on both the front and back nine, she would finish five over par, carding a 78. Additionally, Maier was named Belles Athlete of the Week after taking victory and tying her career low in the second jamboree.
Saint Mary’s seniors also played a crucial role in the team’s success with Julia Lizak and Breana Harrington both having top-20 individual performances. Harrington shot two birdies in the front nine, carding a 39 through the stretch. She would finish the second half with 41 strokes for a final tally of 80, tied for the 11th best score of the day. For Lizak, the jamboree served as her first round after coming back from injury. Consistent scores of 41 on both the front and back nines placed her tied for 19th with a total score of 82.
Rounding out the lineup for the Belles was Colleen Hand. The junior finished 15 strokes over par, with a final score of 88. She was tied for 35th overall on the individual leaderboard. Freshman Kate Plessinger also competed in the jamboree, as an individual. She would finish tied for 40th after shooting an 89. The jamboree was the third event she has competed in thus far in her first season.
The best individual score in the event belonged to sophomore Rylee Smith of Trine University. Smith led her team to a tie for second place, and established herself as the individual leader in the conference. After finishing within the top two teams in each jamboree so far, Trine is right behind Saint Mary’s in the MIAA standings.
The Belles will finish the fall season with the fourth and final MIAA Jamboree on Oct. 11 at Pine River Country Club in Alma, Michigan. Currently, Saint Mary’s sits atop the standings, three strokes ahead of Trine. As the defending champions of the MIAA, the Belles are aiming to go back-to-back and once again claim first place in the conference.
