The Grinnell College women’s golf team shot a 795 at the Wartburg College Spring Invite at Prairie Links Golf Course on Sunday to finish third in the final standings.
Hailey Speck ’15 led the Pioneers, taking 13th, with a two-day total of 174.
“I was personally a little disappointed with my performance this weekend just because I’ve played really well there in the past. It was a good tournament for preparation for Nationals,” Speck said.
Alex Plemmons ’15 scored a 175 over the two days to claim 14th place, while Sam Hengst ’18 and Lauren Yi ’18 tied for 16th, both scoring 178. Kayleigh Kresse ’15 shot a 184 to finish in 20th place.
Speck spoke positively about the conditions, commenting about the relative warmth on Saturday, considering the fact that it was an April day in Iowa. Having prepared for rain on Sunday, the team was pleasantly surprised to have managed to stay dry.
“We’ve been focusing a lot on putting and chipping over at the country club and making sure that we’re getting holes in and rounds in because the tournament for Nationals is four rounds, which is the longest tournament we’ll have played in this year,” Speck said. She also stressed that it was good preparation for the long week of the Nationals, considering that Conference was just a three-day affair.
Hengst received considerable praise after scoring two 89s over the two days.
“I think this was her best tournament since she got to Grinnell. She shot an 89, 89 so I think that this is really exciting for her,” Speck said.
“She still has some work to do with her putting, but tee to green she is as good as anyone in the program right now,’” wrote head coach David Arseneault in an email to The S&B.
“The team scored well in very windy conditions. Several of our players have now learned to take abbreviated swings and keep the ball low in such conditions and that really helped our scoring,” Arseneault wrote.
“He likes to make sure that we’re having a good time and I think that he’s making sure that our practices are planned to make us ready for Nationals,” Speck said of Arsenault.
Nationals promises to be a more grueling challenge for the team, who seem dedicated to delivering a successful performance. The tournament runs between May 12 and 15 in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.
