Indiana women’s golf wrapped up play Sunday at the IU Invitational at the Pfau Golf Course in Bloomington. The team scored a 903, 4-over par through 54 holes to finish fourth place in the event.
Play began Saturday morning in frigid conditions, with rain and snow falling from the sky. Freshman Aine Donegan led the Hoosiers early with a score of 73, 1-over par. The team scored a collective 309, 21-over par in the first round, tied for sixth place with Augusta University.
Indiana’s score improved in its second round Saturday, as the team collectively scored 302, 14-over par. Donegan scored an individual 75, 3-over par, however, she did not lead the team as senior Alexis Miestowski scored a 71, 1-under par.
The Hoosiers were in seventh place after Saturday, but an impressive third round on Sunday moved them up the leaderboard. The team scored a 292, 4-over par, the second-best round of all 11 teams on the day and good enough to move the team to fourth place.
Indiana’s final round performance marked the first time two Hoosiers scored under-par in the same round this season. Donegan scored a 71, 1-under par and Miestowski scored a 68, 4-under par.
Related: [Late success not enough for Indiana women’s golf, team finishes 20th at Chattanooga Classic]
Miestowski’s score is one for the record books. She is the first Hoosier to score under 70 this season, and the first to score 68 or lower since former player Anni Eisenhut at the Westbrook Invitational in February 2020.
Miestowski was just one of three players to score lower than 70 in the entire field, accompanied by Old Dominion University senior Jana Melichova and Michigan senior Ashley Lau. Lau finished as the best individual in the field.
Miestowski and Donegan tied for second overall, finishing behind Lau. Both players scored a 219, 3-over par through three rounds.
Indiana senior Mary Parsons tied for 30th, scoring a 235, 19-over par. Freshman Margaret Fernandez tied for 32nd with a score of 236, 20-over par.
Freshman Beatriz Junqueira tied for 46th individually by scoring a 241, 25-over par, and sophomore Morgan Dabagia rounded out Indiana’s team lineup, scoring a 246, 30-over par and tying for 54th.
As the host team, Indiana was allowed to play three individuals aside from those competing for the team event. Senior Maddie Dittoe scored a 241, 25-over par, junior Hannah Tanaka scored a 247, 31-over par and senior Arushi Singh scored a 249, 33-over par.
Related: [Indiana men’s golf players led by Berggren’s 15th-place finish at Butler Spring Invitational]
Big Ten opponents Michigan, Wisconsin and Purdue finished ahead of Indiana in the standings. The Hoosiers were just four strokes back of third-place Purdue.
Indiana’s fourth-place finish is its second best of the season, behind its victory in the Courtney Cole Invitational. In events with 10 or more teams in the field, the fourth-place finish is Indiana’s best of the season.
The Hoosiers are peaking at the right time, as the IU Invitational was Indiana’s regular-season finale. The Hoosiers start postseason play in the Big Ten Championships April 22-24 at the Fox Chapel Golf Course in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
