Men
The men’s golf season began on September 12 at Augsburg College’s Fall Invite, where the Blugolds placed third out of 14 teams. The team finished the two-day event with a stroke total of 602, according to the Blugold Athletics Web page. The top two finishers at the event were UW-Stout and Luther College with 598 and 601 strokes, respectively.
“We played OK,” said Jim Maguire, the coach of the men’s golf team. “The guys played really good but seemed to stumble down the stretch.”
For the player standings, UW-Eau Claire freshman Tim McCormick, earned third place with a score of 147. Sophomore Jimmy Hutchings tied for No. 11 overall with 149 strokes and senior Ben Ziemann’s score of 153 tied him for No. 17 overall. James Stafford for the University of St. Thomas took first place after shooting 144, which is par for the course.
The team had the chance to win, but made errors at the end of rounds, Maguire said. The mistakes gave the other teams a chance to gain ground, he said.
“It wasn’t our toughest competition,” Maguire said. “We need to continue to work at the finish. The guys played really good but seemed to stumble down the stretch.”
Ziemann said the team was strong, but that improvements could be made.
“It’s pretty good, for being the first time out,” Ziemann said. “We definitely need to work on finishing rounds.”
The next challenge for the Blugolds will be St. John’s Fall Invitational on Sept. 19 in Collegeville, Minn. Ziemann said he anticipates the team will do well, not only in the upcoming tournament, but the season as a whole.
“We’re a young team, but we’re deep,” Ziemann said. “I expect a lot from us.”
Maguire agreed with Ziemann and said he had high hopes for the season.
“We’ve got a very bright future and a lot of talent,” Maguire said. “Everybody on our team can play.”
Women
The women’s golf team also took to the links over the weekend and captured second place at the O’Brien DIII Fall Championship in Notre Dame, Ind. The Blugolds finished with a score of 620 strokes, falling only to Methodist University who had a score of 618.
“They played really well,” said John Means, coach of the women’s golf team. He added that the team actually held the lead at times, but just couldn’t finish there.
The Blugolds had two golfers inside the top five of the individual rankings. Freshman Catherine Wagner placed second overall with a score of 150 while sophomore Katie Maurer, who earned last week’s WIAC Athlete of the Week honors, came home in fifth after shooting 154. Martyna Mierzwa of St. Mary’s College in Ind. earned top individual honors with a score of 147.
The Blugolds beat out some of the best teams from last year, said Means. Methodist University, the team that ultimately won the event, has won the national championship the last 12 years. All the teams participating in the tournament were the top teams from last year’s NCAA Division III Championship. The Blugolds were sixth in the nation last year, and are in position to improve, Means said.
“It’s a young team,” Means said. “They’re getting better and better each time they play.”
Next up for the women’s golf team is the Illinois Wesleyan Fall Classic. The two-day tournament takes place in Normal, Ill. and begins Sept. 19.
