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Scots' Women Rolling into SLIAC Championships

by Dan Nolan

Monmouth, IL (10/02/2019) — If recent results are any indication, the Monmouth College women's golf team's debut in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) Championships promises to be a good one.

Fresh off first-place finishes in their last two meets, the Fighting Scots tee off Monday at the two-day, 36-hole SLIAC Championships at The Links Golf Course in Jacksonville. Playing at the course one week prior to the conference tournament, the Scots fired a season-low 321 and went on to win the Illinois College Fall Invitational, defeating the three other SLIAC teams at the meet. Two days later, the team took top honors at the Iowa Wesleyan Tiger Classic held at Schaeffer Memorial Golf Course in Fort Madison, Iowa.

"We're definitely playing our best golf right now," said coach Cory Bizarri. "We shot our season-best on the Championship course last week and we're capable of going even lower. I feel the sky is the limit for us."

Led by senior Haley Hoekstra - a three-time all-conference performer in the Midwest Conference - and her 82-stroke average, Bizarri's squad has carded its best rounds in the final weeks of the season. Mamie Ambrosch is a single stroke behind Hoekstra to give Monmouth a solid 1-2 punch. "Steady" Dani Freeman has also been a regular scorer, averaging an 84 per round after carding a season-low of 81. Morgan Bemis had a breakout round at the IC Invite, touring The Links course with a career-low 77, one off Hoekstra's school record to drop her per round average to 85. Senior Jessi Haines rounds out the veteran group and could post a scoring round at any time should one of the top four falter.

"Our scoring average for the fall isn't overly impressive, but we had some early struggles," admitted Bizarri whose team is averaging 328 over the last three rounds. "We're starting to hit our stride. If we're to win conference, we'll have to have all five play really well. If we play our best golf, we'll have a shot to challenge. We have the physical ability. It's a case of putting it all together over a span of two days."

Monmouth joins former Midwest Conference schools Grinnell, Illinois College, Knox and Lake Forest in making their SLIAC Championship debut. The Scots are searching for their first conference crown since 2002.

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