AUGUSTA, Mich. - The Saint Mary's golf team shot a 332 in the final round of conference competition and held off Adrian in the cumulative stroke standings to capture the 2024 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) Championship.

 

For the second consecutive day, Adrian posted the low 18-hole team score of the event with a 330. The Belles, who had entered the day with a nine-stroke lead over the Bulldogs, used a strong finish to post a 332. Calvin had a team score of 339, and Hope added a 340 to round out the top four. Grace Dubec from Trine had the lowest 36-hole total at the event after a 77 on Tuesday gave her a 152. 

 

The day was incredibly competitive from start to finish. Adrian built a 13-stroke lead in the round over Saint Mary's after all five players had nine holes or fewer to play. The Belles needed to maintain their cumulative stroke lead of the Bulldogs. Saint Mary's made it a nine-stroke difference with four holes to go to essentially tie the overall standings. The Belles then moved ahead of the Bulldogs by closing the gap to eight strokes. That difference shrunk even more when the Saint Mary's made it a five-stroke gap with just two golfers remaining on the course. As the final group came off the course, the difference was two strokes in favor of Adrian for the day but amounted to a seven-stroke championship win for Saint Mary's.

 

Things were just as tight in the determination of the season Most Valuable Player, which goes to the individual player with the lowest season score. Abby Fansler from Hope, Lauren Reed from Adrian, and Haley Angel from Saint Mary's sat in a three-way tie with a season total score of 476. The trio all shot par one their first attempt on par five No. 18. Reed and Angel then added a second par effort on the hole while Fansler bogeyed to end her run at the individual title. Reed and Angel then moved to par five No. 10. Angel was on in three and sunk a massive putt for birdie to capture the playoff and Most Valuable Player honors. She became the tenth different player in program history to earn MIAA MVP honors.

 

Katelyn Tokarz led the Belles on Tuesday with an 80. She finished the two-day event with a 165 for eighth. Tokarz had birdies on par four No. 8, par five No. 10, and par four No. 15 to go along with five pars. Tokarz was the final golfer on the course for Saint Mary's, and the birdie on No. 15 came at a key time to help the Belles close out the overall league championship. 

 

Haley Angel turned in an 81. For the second consecutive day, she did not have a score above a bogey. The senior added a birdie on par four No. 14 and posted seven pars. Angel had a two-day score of 163 and was seventh overall. Julia Lizak carded an 85 on Tuesday. She had birdies on par four No. 8 and par five No. 18 to close out her round. She tied for ninth at the event with a two-day score of 166.

 

Amanda Melling shot an 86 to wrap up the team score. Melling tallied seven total pars on Tuesday. She finished the 36-hole event with a score of 170 to tie for 14th. Colleen Hand shot a 91 and registered seven pars in the round. Her two-day total score of 180 gave her a share of 32nd overall.

 

Georgie Kersman, who was competing as an individual, shot an 81 on Tuesday. She finished the two-day event with a score of 167 to finish 11th.

 

After the completion of the round, the all-conference awards were given to the league's top players for their performances over the combined six rounds of play. Haley Angel and Julia Lizak were both All-MIAA First Team honorees while Amanda Melling earned All-MIAA Second Team honors. It marks the first All-MIAA honor of each student-athlete's career.

 

It is the eleventh MIAA title and twelfth NCAA Championship appearance for the Saint Mary's golf program. The 2024 Division III Championships take place May 21-24 at Keene Trace in Nicholasville, Kentucky. More information will be available once the official field is announced by the NCAA in May.