Belles Climb to Finish Fifth at O'Brien National Invitational

Day Two Results (pdf)

NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's golf team finished in fifth place at the 2013 O'Brien National Invitational on Monday afternoon.

The golf team poses with the O'Brien family and
Athletic Department chaplain Sister Lou.Fourth-ranked DePauw won the tournament with a 310 on day two for a final score of 626. Conference foe and 17th-ranked Olivet finished second with a team score of 647. The Belles moved up from seventh place to fifth place with a final score of 671 (333-338) to place ahead of nationally-ranked George Fox and Southwestern.

DePauw's Paige Gooch was the individual medalist of the tournament after firing a one-over 72 to card a 151 in the two-day tournament.

Sammie Averill improved upon yesterday's collegiate-best round of 81 with an 80 on Monday to finish tied for 11th place individually. She finished the tournament with 20 pars and was in the top-15 in both par three and par five scoring. Paige Pollak turned in an 84 to finish tied for 16th place with a score of 164. The senior tied for sixth with a group of players in par three scoring at the tournament.

Janice Heffernan took two strokes off of yesterday's round for an 85 on Monday. Her two-day score of 172 tied her for 27th place individually. Alexi Bown was just two strokes behind Heffernan's tournament score with a 174 after shooting an 89 to tie for 30th place and wrap up the team score. Ali Mahoney was the Belles' fifth scoring-eligible golfer and shot an 89 for a two-day final of 180 (t-37th).

Katie Zielinski (89-95--184, t-43rd), Rachel Kim (92-95--187, t-48th), Emmie Schultz (88-101--189, t-52nd), and Courtney Carlson (107-92--199, 58th) all played as individuals for the Belles.

Saint Mary's opens up conference play on Tuesday, September 24, in the first of six MIAA rounds this fall. Albion hosts the first jamboree at the Medalist Golf Club starting at 1:00 p.m.