The Gustavus women’s golf team moved to the top of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference last year after claiming the program’s first ever league title. MIAC Coach of the Year Scott Moe returns four of the five golfers that led the team to the MIAC title, including National Golf Coaches Association (NGCA) All-Americans Kali Griggs (Sr., Burnsville, Minn.) and Katie Schenfeld (Jr., Indianola, Iowa) and MIAC Rookie of the Year Taylor Drenttel (So., Eagan, Minn.).
Coach Moe and the Gusties return a deep roster that includes five golfers who recorded a top 10 finish from a season ago. Captain Griggs (80.0 avg./ per round) leads the way for the squad, followed by Schenfeld (81.1 avg. per round), Drenttel (83.5 avg. per round), Amanda Woodhull (So., Minnetonka, Minn.) (84.2 avg. per round), and Ann Jackson (So., Fargo, North Dakota) (85.3 avg. per round). The loss of last year’s MIAC Senior of the Year Kimbra Kosak will hurt, but the Gusties possess great depth and have the talent in place to remain one of the top programs in the conference and nationally.
Gustavus, as a team, recorded eight of the ten lowest rounds by any MIAC squad a year ago. With the squad returning five of its top six golfers, the Gusties should once again be a serious contender for the MIAC Championship. Gustavus begins the season ranked #3 in the Golf World/NGCA Coaches Poll behind #1 Methodist and #2 UW-Stevens Point.
The season begins this weekend in Eau Claire, Wisconsin at the Doug Georgianni Memorial Blugold Invite hosted by the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire. The Gusties will also take part in the O’Brien Division III Championship hosted by St.Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, the Division III Midwest Classic hosted by Carleton, the Mustang Invitational hosted by Southwest State University in Marshall, and the MIAC Championships which will be held at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids, Minn., October 3-5.
GOLF WORLD/NGCA COACHES’ POLL
Women’s Division III — Preseason Edition
RANK TEAM POINTS ’09 NCAA Finish
1. Methodist (15) 420 1
2. Wisconsin-Stevens Pt. (1) 393 2
3. Gustavus Adolphus 379 3
4. Southwestern 353 4
5. Wisconsin-Eau Claire 319 6
6. Otterbein 312 5
7. Allegheny 309 7
8. Illinois Wesleyan 304 9
9. DePauw 289 T-11
10. Middlebury 284 8