Expectations will be high once again for the Gustavus women’s golf team as Division III National Coach of the Year Scott Moe welcomes back four letterwinners, including three of last year’s top four players from a team that was MIAC Champions and finished second at the NCAA Championships. The trio that will anchor this year’s squad includes All-Americans Katie Schenfeld and Taylor Drenttel, and All-Region honoree Ann Jackson.
Gustavus will look to Schenfeld and Drenttel to lead the charge this season. Schenfeld (Sr., Indianola, Iowa) is coming off a banner junior campaign where she placed fifth at the NCAA Championships and first at the MIAC Championships and set a school record with a stroke average of 78.2. Drenttel (Jr., Eagan, Minn.) joins Schenfeld to give the Gusties a powerful 1-2 punch at the top of the line-up. She finished 12th at the NCAA Championships and second at the MIAC Championships while compiling an impressive 79.6 stroke average. Schenfeld and Drenttel gained valuable experience playing in the NGCA Women’s Collegiate Team Championship in early August. Competing against primariy a Division I field, the duo placed 39th out of 53 teams including a first place finish among the six Division III teams in the field. Ann Jackson (Jr., Fargo, N.D.) (81.4 avg./round) looks to build on her 2009-10 campaign that saw her crack the top ten five times and earn All-Region and All-Conference honors. Rikka Holiday (Jr., Bozeman, Mont.) (84.8 avg./round) will look to increase her roll on the team this year and move into the number four spot in the lineup after playing in eight events last season and finishing in the top ten twice. Nicole Tetrault (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) (89.7 avg./round) will also look to contribute more this season after playing in three events last year. Sophomore Kayleigh Dittes (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and first year player Jessica Skaare (Blue Earth, Minn.) will add depth to the Gustavus squad.
With two tournaments consisting primarily of NCAA Division I and II teams at Northern Illinois University and Southwest Minnesota State University, respectively, the schedule looks to be a rugged test of the team’s ability. Coach Moe is confident, however, that his squad is up to the challenge, “The schedule is going to be tougher this year,” Coach Moe acknowledged. “With a Division I and Division II tournament, the competition will be tough. We are looking forward to the challenge.” The Gustie women open the season at the Doug Georgianni Memorial Invitational in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on September 4.