The season for men’s and women’s golf of William Jewell College (WJC) has come to a close after Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) tournament play. The men’s squad finished seventh while the women’s squad finished fifth in the GLVC tournament.
Derek Peterson, senior, reports that the men’s team came into the tournament ready to play.
“We had a ton of momentum going into that tournament, with a top-ten finish at the Lindenwood Invitational and a top-ten finish at the GLVC MW Regional the two weekends leading up to it,” Peterson said.
Both Nick Sobba, sophomore, finished in a tie for 10th overall and Mitch Jacobi, senior, finished tied for 17th on the men’s team.
The men’s team did not get all of their desired results at the last tournament of the season for the seniors on the team, as the players faced unfavorable weather with heavy rain and winds up to 40mph. But the season as a whole was not a loss.
“Overall, the season was good. As a senior, I couldn’t ask for a better group of guys to finish my collegiate career with,” Peterson said.
Peterson placed at the GLVC MW Regional in Indianapolis, Ind. third out of 31 GLVC and GLIAC teams and 160 players. This was the highlight of the year for the Missouri native.
The women’s team found more success in Indianapolis.
“This year has been a great year for the women’s golf team, as this is the best our team has ever been. Coach Bob Cole did a fantastic job recruiting over the years and our hard work finally paid off,” said Chloe Kittle, senior.
The Cardinal women struggled early on in the spring but finished fifth in the GLVC tournament, which was a goal they had set for themselves. Courtney Wells, junior, was more than content with the result.
“I was very pleased with our performance at the GLVC Championships this past weekend. As a team, we finished fifth, which is the highest we have ever placed since we have been Division II in the GLVC. Going into the tournament, a few of us had a goal to finish in the top five as a team. We knew we had to beat one of the good teams in our conference in order to place in the top five and moving into that fifth spot after day two of play and staying there after day three was an incredible feeling, especially since we posted our highest team score of the year on day three,” she said.
Wells had injuries but shot in the 70s twice in a tournament this season, 76 in a tournament in the fall at Cardinal Hill and 78 at the GLVC Preview Tournament in the fall at Annbriar. She earned a medal in her tournament in the fall.
Marissa Juliana, junior, placed second in two of the tournaments this spring. She was also considered to advance to super-regionals as an individual but fell short by one stroke average.
“Our coach mentioned that every one of us stepped up to help the team when we were needed to at some point this weekend, which is true,” said Juliana.
Kittle considers the women’s team GLVC tournament success one for the books.
“I could not be happier to have been a part of this team for four years, especially with the great run we finished with this year. I was very fortunate to compete with a great group of women on my team who thoroughly supported and encouraged me,” said Kittle.
Kittle expressed her gratitude as she reflected on the past four years she has spent as a member of the team.
“They will never know how lucky I am and how much it meant to have them supporting me, not only all year, but also on my last competition hole of my college golf career. Having my teammates and coach there for me that last, emotional hole is a memory I’ll always hold on to. I’ll be forever thankful for the wonderful, humorous and memorable years they gave me and for the opportunity Coach Cole gave me here at William Jewell. He opened the door for me at Jewell and I am leaving with a wonderful degree, a fantastic job, great friends and irreplaceable memories. I cannot wait to support them in competition next year, and I give my best to them in everything they do,” Kittle said.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Rivas.