Golf closed its regular season on a high note at the University of Illinois Springfield Spring Invitational with a season-high fifth place finish at the event. Led by junior Lindsey Repp with an 11th place finish overall, Bulldogs Emily Ducaji, Brooke Kelley, Maya Schnable and Madison Sprung placed 18th, 19th, 21st and 36th respectively.
Head coach Clint Fitzpatrick said the team was not sure what to expect going into the weekend, but had an excellent showing given the circumstances. According to Fitzpatrick, Truman’s golfers had never played at the UIS turf before, and squared off against many opponents they were unfamiliar with. Fitzpatrick said despite cold and windy conditions, the team still competed well to catch a top 5 finish. The event at UIS was originally slated to have a second day, but because of snow and ice day two was canceled. The GLVC meet April 26 makes up for that, however, as it lasts a day longer than most regular season golf events.
“The GLVC conference tournament is different than any of the other tournaments because it is held over three days instead of two,” Fitzpatrick said. “Against the other GLVC teams, our goal is to finish in the top half. We have one of the toughest conferences in the region, and normally between four and six of the conference teams advance to regionals each year, so a top-half finish is difficult, but still attainable for us.”
Fitzpatrick said the increased duration of the event is something the Bulldogs have to anticipate and adjust to. He said the team will have to focus on not wearing themselves out early, but aside from that, little adjustments leading up to the meet are not critically important. Rather, Fitzpatrick stressed the importance of practicing efficiently while still getting enough rest. This, according to Fitzpatrick, will be the key to a strong Bulldog showing at the championships.