Freshman Jacob Daavettila led the Northern Michigan University men’s golf team at the Flyer Spring Invitational hosted by Lewis University in suburban Chicago on Monday. (Lewis Athletics photo by Max Sacco via NMU)

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. — Freshman Jacob Daavettila and sophomore Abbie Pietila led their golf teams at Northern Michigan University during the weather-shortened Flyer Spring Invitational held at the Bolingbrook Country Club in suburban Chicago on Monday.

Both Wildcat teams were reported to finish in 10th place in their 13-team fields, with each scheduled to be 36-hole events that would finish on Tuesday, but instead were cut back to Monday’s 27 holes.

The Northern women have a busy week in front of them, playing in two tournaments over a total of four days in a six-day stretch. They’ll be at the Upper Iowa Invitational in Waterloo, Iowa, on Friday and Saturday, then travel east for the Ohio Dominican University NC4K Classic in Grove City, Ohio, next Tuesday and Wednesday.

They finish the scheduled part of their spring swing with the GLIAC Championship to be held in downstate Augusta between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek from Wednesday through Friday, April 22-24.

While the men will join the women at the Upper Iowa Invite this weekend, they then take a week off before heading to Lancaster, Ohio, for the Bill Blazer Memorial, also hosted by Ohio Dominican, on Saturday and Sunday, April 11-12.

But that’s where the Wildcat men will have their short turnaround, taking just two days off before embarking on their own GLIAC Championship also to be held in Augusta from Wednesday through Friday, April 15-17.

Here are details from the Illinois event:

Men

For the NMU men, Daavettila tied for 16th overall with a score actually recorded over 28 holes of 118, or 5-over-par.

He shot a 1-over 73 on his opening 18 holes, tying him for fifth at that point. In that start, he birdied two of his first three holes and added another birdie on No. 8 to make the turn in 1-under 35, then had another pair of birdies on the back nine for a 2-over 38.

He hit a rougher stretch to begin his second 18 holes — cut off to 10 — shooting a 3-over 39 on the front nine after an opening-hole double-bogey.

Daavettila was particularly good on par-3s, where he led the field at 2-under and a 2.67 stroke average on five par-3s.

And in his 27 holes that counted with everyone else, he made six birdies, tied for best in the field.

Daavettila led the Northern men’s effort of 14 birdies, fifth best in the field, as the Wildcats also had 62 pars, 53 bogeys and 12 double-bogeys or worse, all of them actually last in the field.

Senior Tyler Annala, a Westwood High School product, had NMU’s second-best finish, tying for 37th with 8-over, shooting 8-over 80 on his opening 18 before firing an even-par 36 on his final front nine. He had birdies on the par-5 3rd and 10th, along with the par-4 7th. His 2-under total and 4.67 average on par-5s tied for fourth best in the field.

The Wildcats’ Arthur Ylitalo was 17-over for 60th place, while teammates Levi Pennala and Harvey Ylitalo each came in at 18-over to tie for 61st.

Women

The Northern women scored 83-over-par after a 54-over first 18 holes and 29-over on the final nine.

Pietila tied for 29th place with a 17-over total of 125, shooting a 9-over 81, then 8-over 44.

Opening her tourney on the back nine at the 10th, she carded a 5-over 41 there before adding 4-over 40 on the front. It included a birdie on the par-4 6th as she was 1-under on her final four holes.

Teamwise, NMU carded four birdies, 49 pars, 50 bogeys and 38 double-bogeys or worse.

Maddy Martens was right behind Pietila in the individual standings, finishing at 19-over to tie for 38th, then came Aavra Relich at 21-over to tie for 42nd.

Martens had 83 on her first 18 holes, then added 44, while Relich started with 87 before going 42 on her next nine. Relich made three birdies, leading the Wildcats and tied for fourth best in the field.

Also for NMU, Payton Donnelly was 26-over to tie for 48th, while Gabriella Moreau was 61-over in 64th.

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.