WPU Tackles Tough Course for Tournament Win
William Penn Women’s Athletics
Galena, Ill./Cedar Falls–The Statesmen women’s golf team did not have its best two days of play over the weekend, but the result was the same as WPU came away with the team crown at the Clarke Invitational Saturday and Sunday.
#16 WPU was first out of nine teams with a two-day tally of 667 (331-336) at Eagle Ridge South Golf Course–a par-72 layout. Viterbo (Wis.) was second at 687 (341-346). It is the third-straight title for the navy and gold to start the season and their eighth in a row (excluding nationals), dating back to last spring.
Natalie Booton (Jr., Mount Pleasant, Elementary Education) headlined the 47-player field with a 163 (80-83), edging teammate Maggie Yang (Sr., Chino, Calif., Biology) (80-84–164) by just one stroke. The individual medalist honor also marks the eighth-consecutive time WPU has had a player post (or tie for) the lowest score.
“As nice as it feels to win the tournament as an individual, far more important is that it feels great to be able to contribute to the team for our tournament win,” Booton said. “It was a really tough course but we battled and we did not give up, leaving it all out there.”
“Natalie played very well and we are excited she was able to win her first medalist honor in college,” Head Coach Nik Rule said. “She has played very consistent this year and has been a welcome improvement to the middle part of our lineup. As a testament to our resiliency, we still had four members of the five person all-tournament team, which was good to see.”
Demi Coertze (Jr., Johannesburg, South Africa, Digital Communication) had her incredible streak of four-straight tourney titles snapped, but was still high on the charts in a tie for fourth at 172 (89-83). Jing Yang (So., Woodland Hills, Calif., Biology) matched Coertze at 172 (86-86), while Ashley Manhnieo (Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., Business Management) tied for sixth at 173 (85-88).
Playing as an individual, Carly Schmalz (So., Buffalo Lake, Minn., American Government) finished 16th at 181 (90-91).
“We did not play our best, but it was also the most difficult course we have played in the last five years,” Rule said. “The layout and topography of the course provided for such a mental grind to get through, but we are proud that even despite those challenges we were still able to win our third straight tournament.”
William Penn’s varsity reserve squad was also on the course Sunday, competing in the Pheasant Ridge Tournament at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls. The Statesmen placed first out of five teams with a 340.
Courtney Cunningham (So., Muskogee, Okla., Computer Science) and Jodi Saito (So., Mililani, Hawaii) tied for first out of 28 players with scores of 83.
Alexandria Eckenrod (Sr., Mason City, Iowa, Elementary Education) posted a top-five showing as well, tying for fourth at 85.
Brooke Fletcher (Fr., Atlantic, Iowa, Business Management) tied for 11th at 89, while Alexi Rule (So., Idaho Falls, Idaho, Education) (T-15th, 91) and Aramina Flores (Fr., Corpus Christi, Texas) (T-19th, 95) were in the top 20 as well. Jordan Postma (Fr., Marion, Iowa, Biology) rounded out the scoring with a 99 to place 27th.
Next Up: William Penn is off a week before returning to action on October 3 by traveling to Milwaukee, Wis. to compete in the Cardinal Stritch Wolfpack Invitational. The event will be hosted at Brown Deer Park Golf Course.
