The Northwestern College women’s golf team had a banner year in 2008-09, enjoying one of its finest seasons in recent years. Head coach Harold Hoftyzer’s squad registered its best team scoring average since 2001 (353.1) and captured the team championship in three meets this season. The Raiders finished in the top five in all 10 events during the 2008-09 season, which included a third place showing in the four-round GPAC championship, and just missed out on qualifying for the NAIA national tournament.

The season began with a third and fourth place finish, respectively, at the USF and Red Raider Invitationals. Kara Ritchie, a senior from Bedford, Iowa, and Maggie Achterhof (Orange City, Iowa), highlighted the first matches as they tied for eighth at the USF meet. Senior Carrie Spree (Parkersburg, Iowa) carded a team-best 81 and finished tied for fifth at the Red Raider Open. The Raiders then went on to record their first win of the season at the nine-team Iowa Western Community College Open, led by Achterhof who earned runner-up medalist honors with an 80, tied for the second-best scoring total in the program’s history. She was later named GPAC Women’s Golfer of the Week. Coach Hoftyzer’s squad followed with a fourth place finish in the first round of the GPAC championship and then dropped to fifth in the GPAC after the second round, its final event of the fall season. Spree led NWC with an 86.6 scoring average during the fall, followed closely by Achterhof with an 87.2.

The weather wreaked havoc, especially early on, during the spring season. The team managed to get one warm-up meet in the books prior to the third round of the GPAC championship as they won the Grand View Triangular with a 342, which tied for fourth all-time in team scores. Achterhoff earned medalist honors with an 83. Standing in fifth place after two rounds, the Raiders shot past two teams with a strong showing in the third round of the GPAC championship. NWC carded a 369 and placed second, trailing Dakota Wesleyan and second place USF with one round to play. With momentum in their favor, the Raiders won the Briar Cliff Open (351) and finished second in the eight-team Dana Invite with a 333, the best team score ever recorded in the history of the program. Five Raiders placed in the top 10 at Dana, led by freshman Andria Hinz (Cottonwood, Minn.), who tied for third with an 81. With USF in their sights heading into the final round of the GPAC championship, the Raiders shot a 352 and placed second but were unable to surpass the top two teams and advance to the national tournament.

Achterhof and Spree finished the season with a team-best 87.2 and 87.4 average, respectively, and both players were named all-conference. Achterhof recorded six top-10 finishes and placed in the top 25 in all 10 events she played. Spree finished her Raider career with six top-10 finishes and placed in the top 25 in nine events in 2008-09. During her four-year career, Spree registered a 91.2 scoring average, the seventh-best total since 2001. Kelsey Shiflett (Humboldt, Iowa) ranked third on the team in scoring average (90) and finished in the top 10 four times. She finished her playing career ranked sixth with a 91.1 scoring average. Hinz (91.7) and Rachelle Pedersen (91.8), a junior from Nora Springs, Iowa, ranked fourth and fifth in scoring average for the 2008-09 season.

The Raiders proved to excel in the classroom as well as four Raiders were named NAIA Scholar-Athletes. Shiflett and fellow senior Lisa Wiersma (Orange City, Iowa) and juniors Pedersen and Anne Eberline (Grundy Center, Iowa) all earned the postseason honor. In addition, Coach Hoftyzer’s squad was named an NAIA Scholar Team for the second straight year.