In its final competition of the season ahead of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship, Ball State women’s golf showed up in a big way at the IUPUI-hosted Lady Jaguar Invitational. All four of the Cardinals’ counting scorers finished within the top 25 of the event’s individual leaderboard.
“I hope it means that we are peaking at the right time,” head coach Cameron Andry said. “There were a lot of positives to build upon.”
After jockeying for position with Ohio and Butler throughout the competition’s second day, Ball State finished atop the 11-team field, one stroke ahead of the Bobcats and Bulldogs, in order to take home first place.
Headlining for the Cardinals, junior Sabrina Langerak finished in second individually and was the only competitor to score under par in either round.
“She really played well, and I was really proud of her,” Andry said. “She works incredibly hard, so it's good to see it paying off for her.”
Saturday - Round One
The opening round of the competition saw the Cardinals get off to a fast start that quickly catapulted them to the top of the event’s leaderboard, where they would remain through to the conclusion of the first round.
“What we talked about last night was that it [placing first] doesn’t change anything; we’re just going to play our game and stick to the process,” Andry said.
Langerak led the team in scoring, finishing the opening round with a score of 71 (1-under-par) and landing at the top of the individual leaderboard.
Sunday - Round Two
Round two wasn’t a smooth ride for the Cardinals as the wind picked up at the Plum Creek Golf Club.
“Knowing how windy it was going to be, we knew that we’d misjudge it sometimes, but you just have to accept it and move on,” Andry said.
Day one’s top performer, Langerak, had a poor start, earning a double bogey at her first hole. Langerak, however, was able to settle in despite the wind to put in another solid round.
“Today she got off to a really rough start with that double, but she settled in and played some really steady golf,” Andry said.
Fighting to stay in first throughout the day, the Cardinals battled the wind to hold off Butler and Ohio.
Langerak finished the competition in second place after scoring 76 (4-over-par) in the second round. Her team-leading performance was well balanced by the efforts of her fellow counting scorers, with sophomores Madelin Boyd and Jasmine Driscoll and senior Kiah Parrott all finishing inside the top-25 individually.
“We did a nice job of staying steady whenever we made mistakes,” Andry said. “Everyone stayed engaged, and I don’t think very many of them were looking at the leaderboard; I think most of them were just trying to stay in the moment.”
After capturing first place at the Lady Jaguar Invitational, the Cardinals will head to Grove City, Ohio, for their season finale. The 2024 MAC Championship will begin Sunday, April 21 at the Pinnacle Golf Club.
“I think at the MAC championship, if we can put it together for three days and play solid, steady golf, we can give ourselves a chance,” Andry said. “Kent State is really good, but I don’t think they’re untouchable.”
Contact Nick Shelton with comments at nicholas.shelton@bsu.edu or on X @NickS9954.
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