As the UW-Eau Claire women’s golf season winds down, the Blugolds are getting geared up for the tough competition ahead. In the final away meet of the season, the team hit the links and grabbed a second place finish in the Carleton College Invite last weekend in Northfield, Minn.

The lady Blugolds ranked first after day one of competition. But despite a good first day, the team slipped to second place after Sunday’s round. The team finished the invite with a total of 647 strokes, 71 above par. Gustavus Adolphus College (Minn.) grabbed first place with 639 strokes, and St. Olaf College (Minn.) took third with 658 strokes.

Individually, freshman Catherine Wagner led the team with 159 strokes, tying for fourth place overall. Sophomore Katie Mauer took sixth with 161 strokes while senior Torie Ives and sophomore Emily Swift also broke into the top 10 for individual places with 163 and 165, respectively.

Coach John Means said that despite playing conditions not being favorable on the second day – combined with lingering stress from midterms — the team still performed well.

“The past two weeks our practices have not been very productive due to mid-terms, papers and the like,” he said.ÿ “Hopefully the next two weeks will be our most productive.”

And production is just what the No. 3 ranked Blugolds need, as the next two events are some of the biggest of the season. The team will be playing at home this weekend in their annual Blugold Spring Invitational. With 12 teams attending – including No. 2 ranked Gustavus Adolphus – the tournament will continue all day Saturday starting at noon. The final round will be on Sunday starting at 7:30 a.m. at the Wild Ridge course.

“A lot people see Wild Ridge as tough course to play, which give us even more of a home-course advantage,” said freshman Katie Ecker.

Hoping to end the regular season on a good note this weekend, the team already has bigger and better things in mind: the upcoming NCAA Championship meet in May.

“NCAA championship is a culmination of our year . I am excited about the opportunity, not nervous in the least, as the team will be prepared,” Means said.

Ecker said she was eager to experience the different atmosphere that accompanies a tournament with the size and importance of the NCAA event.

“I am personally very excited about nationals, the team has done so many good things during the fall and spring,” Ecker said. “I think that there will be many surprises about how we play and how other teams perform because this is a completely different atmosphere than the other tournaments.

“(However,) we deserve to go to nationals to show other teams that the Blugolds mean business.”

Means said the team wants to send a clear message to 10-time NCAA champs Methodist University (N.C.): the Blugolds will be serious competition.

“(Our team goal) since preseason was to give Methodist College a run for their money at the NCAA championship,” he said. “We want them looking over their shoulders to see where we are.ÿ

“All the pressure is on Methodist College.”

As the season end draws nearer and the team heads into big-time tournaments, Means said he has a hopeful outlook.

“We have some great talent,” he said. “When they all play to their true ability, fireworks will happen.”