Bolstered by the individual performance of Carly Arison '12, the women's golf team set a school record for one-day score and clinched the team title at the 26th Annual Northern Illinois Huskie Golf Classic last Sunday and Monday. The team shot a record 296 on Monday, overcoming a 19-stroke deficit and earning a three-stroke victory over second place Northern Illinois.
The Bears shot a team score of 315 during the first round on Sunday at the par-72 Whisper Creek Golf Club. But the team rallied the next day to clinch its first victory of the season.
"Our putts really didn't go in on Sunday, but the girls didn't get discouraged," said Head Coach Danielle Griffiths. "Their short game was really good on Monday, so it was fun to watch all the putts go in. I was really proud of how they hung in there and made a comeback."
Arison, a Herald senior sales associate, shot back-to-back rounds of 75 for a six-over-par score of 150 to capture the tournament's individual title. She birdied the final hole of the tournament to clinch a one-stroke victory over second-place finisher Michelle Caporusso of Northern Illinois.
"I just wasn't expecting it," Arison said. "I had spent the whole round trying to control my emotions, so when I finally found out, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.' It was a good feeling. It was especially cool because we won as a team."
All five Bears shot between 73 and 77 in the second round. Sarah Guarascio '11 placed in the top 10 as her two-day 153 (80, 73) earned her sixth overall. Susan Restrepo '11 ranked 13th overall after shooting a one-over 73 in the final round for an overall score of 155. Heather Arison '12, a Herald senior sales associate, joined Restrepo in 13th place with a two-day score of 155 (80, 75) and Megan Tuohy '12 completed the tournament with a two-round 157 (80,77).
After weeks of practice and tough tournaments, the squad was proud to bring home a win.
"I think we were excited to see our work has paid off," Carly Arison said. "This is our first win as a team, and we've all been practicing hard."
While the win is meaningful, the Bears know that they cannot lose focus. They travel next to Bolton, Mass., for the Harvard Invitational, where they will face a difficult field.
"The tournament at Harvard is going to be the toughest competition we have faced yet," Griffiths said. "We're going to face all the Ivies, so going in with the win is really a confidence booster."
