Despite receiving strong performances from freshmen Jenny Madras
and Keely Fitzgerald, the Saint Louis University women’s golf team
lost its dual match against Western Illinois on Sept. 25.

Madras led the Billikens with an 81, finishing third overall and
five strokes behind individual winner Janelle Bush of Western
Illinois. Keely Fitzgerald, who shot an 84, was not far behind
either. Freshmen Kaela Burke, who shot a 94, and Lainey Trahan, who
shot a 117, comprised the rest of the four-person team. The match
took place at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course in Macomb, Illinois.
Saturday marked the third time in just one week that the women’s
team played on this course. Despite showing great progress each
day, the Billikens were outshot 324-376.

The Billikens kept pace during the early holes with Western
Illinois, but suspect that putting led to their loss.

“We were pretty good off the tee box, but we definitely need
work around the greens. Our goal is for everyone to come in with
under 36 putts. The greens were slow, so it was a challenge,”
Madras said.

Although this year’s Billikens are young, they have enough
talent to be competitive.

Sophomore Ashley Pickett, who shot a 136, and junior Amber
Dodman, who shot a 146, competed individually and their scores were
not included in the final score. “I think nerves got the best of
all of us. When we are more relaxed going into tournaments, we’ll
focus and play better,” Dodman said.

“We really just need to build up our confidence and get more
experience on difficult courses. We’ve just got to spend more time
on the practice green,” Pickett said.

Madras, who has emerged as the leader of this inexperienced team
is not easily intimidated.

“Our goal is to simply beat our last score every time we go out
to play. This should be easily accomplished for a while because we
have a lot of room for improvement. The attitude and support we
have for each other is amazing,” Madras said.

“Jenny Madras has been doing great in competition and she keeps
our confidence up. We are a young team and we have a lot of
improving to do, but we’re out there to learn from each other,”
Pickett said.

The women’s team is off this week and will play in the two-day
Husky Invitational starting Wednesday, Oct. 3. “We want to get out
there and give it another try,” Dodman said.

The men’s golf team was also in action last week, finishing
twelfth among 13 teams at the Kansas Invitational at the Alvamar
Golf Club on Sept. 22. In the opening rounds four of their five
players shot a 78 or better. Senior Tom Harmon shot one over par
with a score of 73. Junior David Perritt and Senior Evan Frederick
each shot a 76. Junior Barry O’Neill finished with a 78 and
freshman Ryan Blechle shot an 84.

Blechle led the Billikens on the second day with a score of 77,
which was good enough to finish 69th in the tournament. Perritt,
who shot a 79 on the final day of competition, tied for 48th with
Harmon, which was good enough to lead the team.

The Billikens are off until the Missouri Bluffs Challenge, which
will be held in St. Charles, Missouri on Oct. 11.