Warriors wrap up fall season in William Penn Classic

By Matt Oliver

OSKALOOSA – The Waldorf College women’s golf team closed out the fall season with an eighth-place finish in the William Penn Classic, wrapping up the two-day tournament with 716 strokes on Monday.

Fernanda Valdes led the Warriors, tying for eighth place with a 163-stroke performance in the 36-hole competition.

Valdes got off to a tough opening round with an 83, but bounced back with an 80 the following day on the par-71 layout at Edmundson Golf Course. The sophomore from Morelia, Mexico has placed in the top 10 in the first 16 tournaments of her career.

“The same thing happened to her last year in this same tournament,” Waldorf coach Mark Clouse said. “She knew that on Day 2 she would probably come back with a better round and she did and held her streak intact.”

Rebounding on the second day, Valdes recorded nine straight pars following the opening hole.

“She played really solid golf,” Clouse said.

Junior Maggie Peters took 18th as she shot a 167 for the Warriors following rounds of 80 and 87. Peters was in the hunt for the top spot after the opening day, but a two-stroke penalty took her out of contention on Monday.

Sophomores Trinity Hill and Kailee Ward tied for 39th, turning in 194-stroke totals to contribute Waldorf’s final team scores. Hill completed rounds of 96 and 98 while Ward put together back-to-back rounds of 97.

Freshman Haleigh Biernacki tied for 42nd with a 195, carding rounds of 99 and 96 for the Warriors. Waldorf freshman Mckenzie Fahrni competed as an individual and placed 49th with a 218 on rounds of 111 and 107.

Strong winds with 35-mile-per-hour gusts challenged the field on Tuesday.

“It was a good test of golf with the winds,” Clouse said.

William Penn University, ranked No. 12 in the latest National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll, captured the team championship with 632 strokes. William Penn’s B Team (648) secured second to place ahead of Dakota Wesleyan University (662), the University of St. Francis (666), Peru State College (691), William Penn’s C Team (704), Briar Cliff University (711), Waldorf (716) and Mount Mercy University (717).

Dakota Wesleyan’s Lauren Fitts won the individual title behind a 152 while Peru State’s Marisa Pribnow claimed the runner-up spot with a 154.

With the fall season coming to an end, the Warriors will focus on strength and conditioning the next few months before winter break. They’ll return in January with indoor practices, but will keep practicing outdoors in the meantime.

“We’ll take advantage of the weather as long as it holds,” Clouse said.

After putting together a promising fall campaign, Waldorf looks to further its success during the spring.

“We had a nice fall season,” Clouse said. “We were consistent and had good success, so we’ll build on that for the spring season.”