On April 3 and 4, the Raider’s women’s golf team competed in Lincoln Nebraska. The Bulldog Spring Invite hosted by Concordia consisted of a three-round event at the Highlands Golf Course. The competition field was steep with eight other GPAC teams, one NCAA Division II team, and one JUCO institution. Totaling in 64 golfers.
Starting Monday morning, Sophomore Emily Hulshof led the team with an 81. After the first round, Northwestern’s top five players averaged a score of 88.6. That afternoon, round two was led by Hulshof and Martha Stein (Jr., Milford, Iowa), who both shot an 86. The Raiders were able to improve their average score to 86.8. Despite facing the wind and low temperatures, all the players were within two strokes of each other. Finding themselves in eighth place as a team and Hulshof in the top 20 individually.
Tuesday morning, with temperature rising the Raiders continued to fight and played 18 holes to complete round three. An impressive 15-stroke improvement from round one, freshman Claire Yunag led the final round signing an 82. With the team averaging a score of 84.6 to finish the meet. Pushing NW ahead of Concordia University and College of Saint Mary to sixth place overall.
Individually, Hulshof finished 23rd with a score of 253. In 29th place was freshman Ellie Erickson who shot a 258. Followed by Stein in 30th, Taylor Van Oostrand (Jr. Lincoln, NE) in 33rd, and Yunag in 40th.
“This tournament was our first outing and a solid start to the spring season. It was the tale of two climates,” said Martha Stein. “We teed off in frigid temperatures on Monday and ended Tuesday in the 70s.”
The second-day improvement gives the Raiders extra confidence heading into their next invite on April 12-13 at the Tiburon Golf Course in Omaha, Nebraska. With warmer temperatures ahead this spring, NW’s women’s golf team has proven that determination is one quality they have already acquired.
