USF Invite

• PREVIEW
• RECAP/RESULTS

The Event... The Red Raider women's golf team will open the 2009 season this afternoon as they take part in the seven-team USF Invite in Sioux Falls, S.D. Play will begin around 10:30 am at the Elmwood Golf Course.

Teams... Seven teams will take part in the early meet, including defending GPAC champion, Dakota Wesleyan, and conference runner-up and host team, USF. The other teams competing are, Dana, Hastings, Morningside, Mount Marty and Northwestern.

Scouting Report... Northwestern returns five of their top nine golfers from a 2008-09 team that finished third in the GPAC Championships. Last year's squad recorded a stroke average of 353.1, the best single season scoring mark in eight years. The Raiders finished in the top five in all 10 events last season with three first place finishes, including two during the spring season.

Maggie Achterhof returns as the top individual golfer for Head Coach Harold Hoftyzer's squad after earning all-conference honors last season. The junior from Orange City, Iowa, led the team with an 87.2 stroke average and placed in the top 10 six times including two medalist finishes (Grand View and Briar Cliff). Sophomore Andria Hinz (Cottonwood, Minn.) returns after an outstanding freshman campaign in which she ranked fifth on the team with a 91.7 stroke average. She really came on strong last spring with four top 10 finishes and a stroke average of 88. Two seniors, Anne Eberline (Grundy Center, Iowa) and Rachelle Pedersen (Nora Springs, Iowa) return for their final season. Pedersen ranked sixth on the team in 2008-09 with a stroke average of 91.8 and finished in the top 10 four times. She tied for second in the fourth and final round of the GPAC Championship. Eberline played in seven events last season and carried an average of 95.2. Sara Horn, a junior from Hawkeye, Iowa, played in eight meets last season and recorded one top 10 finish with an average of 93.2.

Coach Hoftyzer added four freshmen to this year's squad that will also compete for a starting spot, Caitlyn De Cock, Kayla Johnson, Erin Ogden and Leigh Van Hove.

Up Next... The Raiders will host the 10-team Red Raider Fall Invitational tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 pm at Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City, Iowa.