ST. PAUL, Minn. - After having one of the best season's in program history in 2018-19, St. Catherine University golf returns to the course this weekend in hopes of building off of last year's success. With three new faces in the 2019-20 line-up, the Wildcats graduated
Sydney Busker last spring, who was a key player in each of her four-years in purple and gold earning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) All-Conference honors in each season.
In the last two seasons, the Wildcats have finished in the No. 4 spot at the MIAC Championships after claiming the title in 2016 with a team score of 949. In 2017, Busker along with now assistant coach,
Kaitlyn Alvarez earned MIAC All-Conference honors. In 2018, Busker and then sophomore
Olivia Matzke claimed the prestigious award at the end of the season.
Along with Matzke, head coach
Mary Giorgi returns six from the 2018-19 squad adding three newcomers. Senior
Maddie Weinman returns for her final campaign on the course carrying the honor of being named team captain along with junior
Jordan Amelon.
Amelon put together several career-bests in the 2019 spring season, leading the Wildcats to finish the final three tournaments in second, first and third, respectively. Another familiar face from the 2018-19 top five is sophomore
Kate Taylor who had an impressive rookie campaign. Taylor appeared in the top five in each of the Wildcats seventeen rounds carding a career-best 77 in the spring. Balancing out the roster this season is sophomore
Sydney Brandt, who appeared in fourteen rounds in her rookie season, playing in the top five twice in the spring.
Rookie
Dasha Parker will make her debut this weekend playing after a successful playing career at Edina High School. Parker along with newcomers
Sydney Brown and
Rachael Wolfe.
Giorgi recently said, "I am so excited to finally start the 2019-2020 season! The team put in a lot of time this summer to help prepare for the competition this fall. On top of that we've had great leadership from our two captains Maddie and Jordan over our pre-season training. The MIAC is going to be extremely competitive this year and our teams knows that every shot is going to matter. Looking forward to finally competing this weekend".
The Wildcats will tee off this afternoon starting at 12 pm in the annual CSB Fall Invite hosted at Blackberry Ridge Golf Course in Sartell, Minn. College of Saint Benedict will host the 36-hole event with several MIAC teams making their season debuts. Amelon will make her debut in the No. 1 spot, followed by Parker at No. 2, Taylor in the No. 3 spot, Weinman at No. 4 and Brandt in No. 5. Matzke, Brown and Wolfe will all play as individuals.
Following this weekend, St. Kate's will travel to Waverly, Iowa for the Wartburg Fall Invite on September 7 and 8. They will also appear in the D3 Classic hosted by Gustavus September 14 and 15 before hosting the St. Kate's Invite September 21 and 22 at The Wilds Golf Club. The team will look to repeat the 2016 season at the MIAC Conference Championship on September 28-30 at Pebble Creek in Becker, Minn.
