The Gophers women’s golf team finished third at the Hoosier Fall Invitational on Sunday.
Led by sophomore Carmen Laguna’s second-place overall finish, the Gophers combined to finish 10 shots behind champion Wisconsin. Host Indiana finished second.
Laguna shot a career-best 69 on Saturday in her opening round. She was in second place after the second and third rounds of play.
Head coach Michele Redman said Laguna hit the ball well on her approaches to the green and was able to putt well.
Sophomore Sarinee Thitiratanakorn finished tied for ninth, highlighted by a 1-under par 71 in the second round.
Senior Jackie Shepherd finished 18th, four shots behind Thitiratanakorn. Sophomore Anna Laorr finished tied for 26th after a final-round 76.
Junior Banchalee Theinthong rounded out the Gophers’ scoring lineup with a tie for 49th.
Sophomore Taylor Quinn competed as an individual and tied for 65th.
Redman said she was impressed by her team’s play over the weekend after playing 36 holes Saturday and battling windy conditions Sunday.
Redman said playing on the course for nearly 12 hours tests the players’ fitness levels.
“It’s hard to prepare them for that,” she said, because the only time the team plays that much is during a tournament.
Redman said the team has “come far” since last spring and is starting to see the results on the scoreboard. The team finished seventh and fifth in its first two meets this fall, respectively.
The Gophers will compete in their final meet of the fall season beginning Sunday at the Las Vegas Collegiate Showdown.
Once that three-day tournament is completed, the Gophers won’t see competition again until mid-February.