The University of Wisconsin-Platteville golf team concluded the 2015 season with 356.4 points, beating their average by 10 points and improving over last season’s results.
This spring was a non-traditional season for golf because the team played in only two tournaments, compared to five in the fall season.
“The bulk of our scores came from our returning players and most of them improved on the previous year’s averages,” head coach Pete Reif said.
Sophomore Stephanie Baribeau shot a 71 at the conference tournament, one shot under par, which tied her for sixth place. Her score of 71 beat the school record previously set by Ahna Hendrickson with a score of 73 in 2005. The score also tied the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference low round shot by UW-Eau Claire’s Maggie Loney in 2005. Because she shot so well this spring, Baribeau garnered All-WIAC second team.
The team will lose two seniors including Katie Gregorich, who has played for the Pioneers all four years of her collegiate career, and Ashley Morales.
“The season went as well as I expected,” Gregorich said. “I lowered my score and even though I didn’t reach my goal, I still improved.”
Gregorich is graduating at the end of the spring semester and says that she will continue to play golf leisurely but will no longer play competitively.
“They [Gregorich and Morales] both made contributions to our team that will be missed,” Reif said. “We wish them the best.”
Reif said that he tried to meet with his players for an hour three times a week to review swing videos and make changes if necessary. This led to six of the team’s eight players improving their scores from fall to spring.
Reif said he would like to have his team improve to an average in the 340s, which would be a new Pioneer record. Reif said that a few of the incoming freshmen could help contribute to this goal. Four of the nine women on the Pioneer roster were freshmen this season.
The spring season will start in February with six weeks of strength training and conditioning along with individual swing work to help prepare for the next season.