Hitting the links: Northern Michigan University Wildcats’ golf teams announce schedule following a successful spring
Northern Michigan University men's golfer Carter Mason putts during the NMU Match Play Invitational held in September 2018 at the Marquette Golf Club's Greywalls course. Mason is a Negaunee High School graduate. (NMU file photo)
MARQUETTE — Northern Michigan University announced its fall and spring season schedules for men’s and women’s golf earlier this month.
The Wildcat women’s team had a player, senior Caro Els, make the NCAA Division II East Regional tournament as she and freshman teammate Annie Pietila earned All-GLIAC honors in April.
Els made it on the All-GLIAC First Team and Pietila All-GLIAC Honorable Mention after Pietila had a runner-up finish — and loss by just one stroke — at the GLIAC Championships earlier that month.
A pair of juniors, Nick Rowley and Negaunee High School graduate Carter Mason, tied for 20th place at the GLIAC men’s tourney in April. Their two-day totals of 146 also tied for fifth-best 36-hole individual scores in program history.
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Northern Michigan University golfer Caro Els hits a shot during the spring season for the Wildcats. She finished her season at the NCAA Division II East Regional in Carmel, Ind., during the week of May 3-7. (NMU file photo)
Men’s schedule
The NMU men kick off their fall season about three weeks before the women on Sept. 5-6 at the Island Resort Intercollegiate event to be held at the Sage Run Golf Club just west of Escanaba in Harris.
This will be the men’s first action in the Upper Peninsula since September 2019, when the same tourney was also held at the Sage Run course. That tourney was hosted by NCAA Division I South Dakota State and was the brainchild of Casey VanDamme, a Delta County native who is currently staff director for the Jackrabbits’ men’s golf program. VanDamme is also a 2000 graduate of NMU.
It wasn’t indicated whether this will once again be a Division I-dominated event as it was two years ago when NMU was the only Division II school that participated.
The men keep busy for two more weeks following the Island Resort event, first traveling to Bay City and the Saginaw Valley Public Golf Course for the Al Watrous Invitational hosted by Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 11-12, then going to Findlay, Ohio, at the Findlay Country Club for the Doc Spragg Fall Invitational hosted by Findlay on Sept. 20-21.
After several weeks off, the team plays its final fall event on Oct. 16-17 in downstate Augusta at Stonehedge North Golf Course for the Davenport Panther Invitational hosted by Davenport.
Golf picks up again at the start of March for a furious six weeks before conference and national tournaments are held.
It begins on March 2-4 in Tampa, Florida, at Stonehedge North in the Saddlebrook Spring Kickoff. After one weekend off, the Wildcats play at the SVSU Spring Invitational in Georgetown, Kentucky, at the Cherry Blossom Golf Course on March 19-20, with the month ending at the Findlay Spring Invitational on March 28-29 in Lexington, Kentucky, at the UK Big Blue course.
In April, Northern travels to Canton, Ohio, at the Glenmoor Country Club for the Walsh Cavalier Classic Invitational on April 2-3 before the three-day GLIAC Championships are scheduled for April 22-24 in downstate Augusta at Stoatin Brae Golf Course. NCAA D-2 regionals and national tourneys will be played after that.
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- Northern Michigan University men’s golfer Carter Mason putts during the NMU Match Play Invitational held in September 2018 at the Marquette Golf Club’s Greywalls course. Mason is a Negaunee High School graduate. (NMU file photo)
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- Northern Michigan University golfer Caro Els hits a shot during the spring season for the Wildcats. She finished her season at the NCAA Division II East Regional in Carmel, Ind., during the week of May 3-7. (NMU file photo)
The NMU women’s team has just as ambitious a schedule as the men, though at slightly different times.
These Wildcats don’t get started in the fall until Sept. 24-25 in downstate Allendale at The Meadows Golf Course for the Gilda’s Club Laker Fall Invitational hosted by Grand Valley State.
With no days off, the teams then plays on Sept. 26-27 in downstate Big Rapids at Katke Golf Course for the Lady Bulldog Fall Invitational hosted by Ferris State.
October will also include two events. On Oct. 4-5, NMU travels to Findlay, Ohio, at Findlay Country Club for the William Beall Fall Classic hosted by Findlay, then on Oct. 16-17, Northern goes to downstate Augusta at Stonehedge North Golf Course for the Davenport Panther Invitational, joining the Northern men there.
Spring will also be busy for the Wildcat women in March and April.
On March 3-4, the NMU women join the men at the Saddlebrook Spring Kickoff in Tampa, Fla., at Stonehedge North, and again join their Northern male counterparts on March 19-20 at the SVSU Spring Invitational in Georgetown, Kentucky, at Cherry Blossom Golf Course.
The two teams’ paths diverge to start April, with the women taking part in the NC4K Classic in Blacklick, Ohio, at Jefferson Country Club on April 4-5, and at the Walsh Invitational in Canton, Ohio, at Glenmoor Country Club on April 9-10.
The Wildcat teams meet again at the GLIAC Championships from April 22-24 in downstate Augusta at the Stonehedge North Golf Course, with possible participation in NCAA D-2 tourneys to follow.
Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.
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