Northern Michigan University golfer Abbie Pietila tees off during the GLIAC Championships held at Stonehenge North Golf Club in downstate Augusta on Friday and Saturday. (Photo courtesy NMU)

AUGUSTA — The Northern Michigan University women’s golf team moved up a spot on the second day of the two-day qualifying round at the GLIAC Championships held at Stonehenge North Golf Club just outside of downstate Battle Creek on Saturday.

That was much like their male Wildcat counterparts did a week earlier — improving in the second round — not too surprising as NMU hasn’t been able to get outside to practice rarely if at all while in Marquette.

And the Northern women were only able to play three events this spring in places much farther south, missing out on the canceled Saginaw Valley State Spring Invitational that was to be played in Kentucky in mid-March. Their last competition had been April 7-8 at the Ohio Dominican NC4K Classic in Ohio.

The Wildcats ended the qualifying at the GLIAC Championships held Friday and Saturday in seventh place among the nine teams, with the top four advancing to the match play semifinals on Saturday afternoon and match play finals on Sunday.

NMU shot 46-over par on Friday and 38-over on Saturday for an 84-over total. Wisconsin-Parkside, which was two strokes better than Northern on Friday at 44-over, added in a 62-over for 106-over to finish last.

Between them was eighth-place Lake Superior State with rounds of 48-over and 42-over for 90-over.

Next ahead of the Wildcats was Purdue Northwest at 58-over after a 22-over Friday and 36-over Saturday, while in fifth place — the first spot out of match play — was SVSU at 52-over after 24-over and 28-over.

Grand Valley State, ranked No. 10 in the nation, won qualifying at just 2-over after an even-par round Friday and 2-over Saturday.

That was well ahead of second-place Ferris State, No. 37 nationally ranked, which was at 25-over with 10-over and 15-over rounds.

Third was Wayne State at 35-over after 11-over and 24-over, then Davenport at 43-over after 19-over and 24-over.

In the semifinal medal play, Grand Valley defeated Davenport 4-1, while Ferris tied Wayne State 2 1/2-2 1/2 with stroke totals giving Ferris the victory. Then on Sunday, GVSU defeated FSU 3 1/2-1 1/2 for its second straight and 18th overall GLIAC title.

NMU joined the other eight teams battling on the 5,829-yard, par-72 Stonehenge course, where overall scores averaged just over 80 on Friday and just under 82 on Saturday. It was reported that not one of the 18 holes played under par for the stroke play rounds.

As a team, the Wildcats were seventh at 36-over on par-3s, seventh at 44-over on par-4s and sixth at 38-over on par-5s, as they also were eighth with eight birdies, seventh with 75 pars, first with 69 bogeys and third with 26 double-bogeys or worse.

Individually, freshman Abbie Pietila and junior Hailey Bolander tied for 27th place, each with an 18-over 162. Pietila started with 82 Friday and added 80 Saturday, while Bolander had 81 each day.

Freshman Maddy Martens was next in line in a tie for 32nd with a 23-over 167 after rounds of 86 and 81, while senior Payton Dube of Hancock was after her in 36th with a 29-over 173 with 89 and 84, then Maggie Pietila tied for 37th with a 30-over 174 after 85 and 89.

Abbie Pietila had two birdies on Friday, one on the front nine and one on the back nine, to go with five pars, eight bogeys and a pair of double-bogeys.

On Saturday, she again had two birdies, this time in a stretch of three holes on the front nine, adding in seven pars, eight bogeys and just one double-bogey.

Bolander had a more sedate scorecard, totaling just one birdie in two days but also having more pars. She didn’t have a birdie on Friday, instead making 11 pars, five bogeys and two double-bogeys.

Her birdie came Saturday on the par-4 16th to go with seven pars, eight bogeys and just one double-bogey.

Martens had two birdies Friday, both on the front nine, to go with five pars, seven bogeys, three double-bogeys and a triple-bogey.

On Saturday, she had another birdie, this one on the par-3 fourth, along with eight pars, eight bogeys and just one double-bogey.

Dube didn’t have a birdie, but racked up seven pars each day, while Maggie Pietila had a pair of birdies on Friday, adding in seven pars each round.

The individual medalist by a wide margin was Grand Valley’s Olivia Stoll, who put together the only two sub-par rounds by any player, shooting a 3-under 69 and 4-under 68 for a 7-under 137.

Stoll’s scorecard showed not one, but two eagles, one each day and both on par-5s, along with six birdies and just three bogeys.

She was nine shots clear of runner-up Lizzie Anderson of Ferris, who finished at 2-over 146 with 74 and 72.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press releases reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.