While competing at the Huskie Invitational on Sunday and Monday in Huntley, Illinois the women's golf team came away with a season best third place finish.
Ball State concluded its fall schedule with a team score of 653. The Cardinals finished just behind Eastern Illinois and the first place Western Michigan Broncos in the tournament's standings.
First round scores on Sunday were high in part due to weather conditions that included 35-50 mile an hour wind gusts and chilly temperatures. However, Ball State tied the Bronco's second day-total of 316, with some outstanding play in the latter round.
"It was cold and windy," said Shelley Sanders, head coach. "That made for very high scores in the first round. But, I think everyone did a good job. This equaled the lowest total we have had all year."
Leading the way for the Cards was junior Sara Padgett with her score of 160, which landed her in the fourth overall individual position. Her best performance of the fall season came after Padgett struggled throughout the season to put up low scores.
"It's kind of a breakthrough to finally play well and know that I could do it," Padgett said. "It was great to play well in the last tourney of the season, especially since I had been struggling this year."
"To finish 4th in a field of 56, it was certainly the best performance she's put together all year," Sanders said. "She needed a boost in her confidence."
The coach said the members of the program have a bright future ahead of them as she explained that Ball State should be able to compete with anyone from the Mid American Conference except for Kent State. According to Sanders, the Golden Flashes have a superior program that is one of the top golfing schools in the nation.
"With golf you are always
striving for better scores and better results," she said. "You could ask anyone on this team and they would say they're not satisfied. The harder they work, the better they will become."
The coach also said the freshmen have shown a lot of promise and the upperclassmen of the team have provided depth and leadership for the team.
The Cardinals will now prepare for the spring season, which begins in March by lifting weights and doing conditioning drills throughout the winter. Ball State will start holding indoor practice sessions in January.
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