The Holy Cross women’s golf team started their season in the fall, facing off in the Pretty Lake Intercollegiate Tournament hosted by Bethel University. The Saints finished ninth out of 10 teams, with the top scorer being sophomore Bianca Huizar who shot 87, 86 and 86 over the three days.
The next tournament the Saints headed into was on their home course at Blackthorn Golf Course. Sophomore Jill Daniels shot her personal best over the two days with a score of 80 and 75.
“My favorite tournament was the Battle at Blackthorn. I placed fifth, shooting a 75, which is my college PR,” Daniels said. “I grew up playing there as a little girl with my dad, so putting up that score was a great personal accomplishment.”
Head coach Abby Clark said, “My proudest moments came from seeing every one of our golfers achieve a personal best this year.”
When Daniels shot her PR, Clark added it was “especially impressive given how challenging that course is.” Daniels along with the team finished strong placing fifth overall out of 11 teams.
Going into October, the Saints faced off at the Harbor Shores Invitational on the Harbor Shores Golf Club, a top-rated Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Unfortunately, the Saints finished fifth out of 5 teams, which was not the outcome they were hoping for.
However, the Saints greatly improved in their next tournament, hosted on Notre Dame’s Warren Golf Course. The team placed second out of 7 teams, with Huizar finishing tied for third place and Daniels tied for seventh.
To end out the month, the Saints played at the Rock Hollow Golf Course in Peru, Indiana. Huizar won the tournament with a score of 80 and 85, her first career win. Freshman Hannah Herschbach finished third with scores of 85 and 88.
The Saints kicked off their spring season at the Rumble at Rend Lake Tournament at the Rend Lake Golf Course hosted by Olivet Nazarene University. They placed third out of four teams, with Huizar placing in the top 10 at seventh place.
To finish off the regular season, the Saints hosted the Holy Cross Spring Invitational at the Knollwood Country Club Golf Course. The Saints were runner-ups out of five teams, largely aided by Daniels, who shot an impressive score of 84 both days.
In postseason action, the Saints played in the University Park Golf Course at the CCAC Championship. Impressively, the Saints finished third, their highest conference win in five years.
Coach Clark was proud of her team’s accomplishments this season, and she did not hesitate to applaud her golfers.
“The program is still very young; all five players are returning next season. With the progress we’ve seen and the momentum we’ve built, we have a real opportunity to win the conference title and advance to nationals for the first time,” Clark said.
