Warriors win second straight title, claim Waldorf Invitational crown
Matt Oliver
FOREST CITY – The Waldorf University women’s golf team took home first place during Sunday’s Waldorf Invitational for its second straight tournament win. Waldorf closed out with an 18-hole team score of 329.
Junior Fernanda Valdes and senior Maggie Peters locked up a one-two finish, respectively.
Valdes compiled a round score of 75 on the par-68 layout at Bear Creek Golf Course, despite dealing with strong winds and wet areas on the course.
“That’s great for her confidence,” Waldorf coach Mark Clouse said. “It was a windy day, and she did great with her ups and downs. She got up and down numerous times, so that’s very good to see. We’ve been practicing a lot of short game lately, and it’s showing in the scores.”
Peters recorded an 18-hole score of 78 for the Warriors. The Jewell native continues to make an impact by showing strength in several areas of her game.
“She continues to play very well,” Clouse said. “There’s no reason why she can’t continue with what she’s doing. She’s been working hard on her short game as well. Her putting and chipping has been very, very good. It’s nice to see the fruits of her labor paying off with her individual tournament finishes.”
Junior Halle Hauer tied for fifth place after providing a round score of 84. Sophomore Haleigh Biernacki turned in a score of 92 to place 10th, while sophomore Haley Lawrence rounded out the team scoring with a 104-stroke total to tie for 16th place.
Waldorf sophomore Mckenzie Fahrni competed as an individual and finished with a round score of 100 for 14th place. The Warriors were without junior Kailee Ward.
“The rest of the squad performed quite well,” Clouse said.
William Penn University’s junior varsity team finished in second behind Waldorf with a team score of 341. NCAA Division III’s Iowa Wesleyan University came in third with 573 strokes.
William Penn’s Sofie Lund completed the round in 79 strokes to place third, behind Valdes and Peters.
The Warriors host the two-day fall portion of the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships in Albert Lea, Minn., beginning on Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. Teams that win the conference meet display strong showings during the fall and the spring. Waldorf looks to remain in the hunt for a conference title after the completion of the fall portion.
“There’s a fall and a spring, and you can’t win it in the fall, but you can take yourself out of it,” Clouse said. “We’d like to be in contention after the fall tournament.”