AU women take top honors in Eagle Invitational
September 28, 2015
Ashland University golf started off incredibly strong, despite this tournament being their first of the season.
The women finished a team championship with a score of 613, 16 better than second place Wheeling Jesuit, on day two of the tournament on their home green, Mohican Hills Golf Club.
“This first win really sets us up strong for the rest of the season,” said junior Emily Jereb.
Junior Kaitlin Neumann earned first place after hitting a 73, the lowest of anyone over the weekend and finished with a two-day total of 150.
Senior Ali Green finished fourth hitting 155, and Jereb placed seventh for the weekend hitting 159.
“It is exciting to see three of us finishing in the top eight,” said Jereb. “It is especially exciting or Kaitlin. She is so humble and modest and deserved the win.”
This was the freshman’s first tournament of the season, although this did not seem to intimidate them.
Freshmen Monica Torda and Morgan Eib can check off their first collegiate tournament, hitting a 176 and a 179 for the weekend.
“It’s exciting especially for the freshman who were nervous it being their first tournament,” said Jereb. “But since it was at our home course, I think we really did have the home advantage and they came out strong.”
The women’s team has the potential to make a strong national climb this year. In 2014-15, Ashland University’s women’s golf team earned a tie for its highest-ever Division II finish when it placed ninth at the 2015 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships.
“It is scary because we did lose two good senior last year, and our team is pretty young,” said Jereb. “I think having the three of us back helps (Jereb, Neumann and Green) and having strong freshman is a good advantage. It’s golf, everyone is going to have a bad round, but we are going to try to come back from those times stronger and not get down on one another.”
The Eagles will return to the links at the Fall Invitational on Sept. 26 and 27.
The men’s golf team also had a promising start to their season, tying for fourth after day one and ninth after the second day of the at the GLIAC North Invite.
The Eagles shot a combined 297 to kick off the tournament. Senior Brandon Nixon who hit a 72 and placed fourth overall, led the team over the weekend.
Senior Austin Schreiber hit just two over par with the score of 74 and tied for 21st place for the day.
On day two, the Eagles followed their 297, with another combined score of 304. Nixon and his teammates Austin Schreiber and Chandler Walnsch tied with the tournament low of 150.
Nixon had Ashland’s lowest overall round with his even par of 72 on Sunday.
Taking to gold of the Invite was Grand Valley State University adding up 581 between the two days while AU had the team score of 601.
The team returns to the green on Oct. 3 and 4 at the Kyle Ryman Invitational in Tiffin, Ohio.