On Monday, Sept. 23, the Allegheny College Women’s Golf Team won their home invitational at the Country Club of Meadville for the first time since 2012.

“(It was) super exciting, the Allegheny women’s golf team has been really (improving), and to be able to win (the tournament) was thrilling,” Riley Wittler, ’20, said.

The win, according to the Allegheny College Athletics website, “marks the first year in the history of Allegheny golf that both the men’s and women’s teams won their respective home invitationals.”

Emily Stelman, ’22, described winning the home invitational as “amazing.”

“We definitely have struggled a little bit throughout our previous seasons, but this year with our incoming (first-years), we have a really solid team,” Stelman said. “We’ve been practicing for so long, it’s about time that we win.”

Kelsi Zik, ’23, shot the best for the Gators, placing third overall with scores of 86 and 78.  Ally Simmers, ’23, also performed well for the team with a total of 183 points.

“The (first-years) are bringing a lot to the team and are doing really well,” Wittler said. “As a senior, I love to see that the golf team is going to keep getting better and (will) have a good legacy.”

Last year, the Allegheny women’s golf team came in third place at the home invitational fifty-four strokes behind the first place winner, Mercyhurst University Women’s Golf.

“(The first-years) have so much talent and potential to do great things, and with the combination of the girls that are already on the team and the (first-years), we’re going to do great things,” Stelman said.

As the end of the fall golf season approaches, winter break poses a challenge for the women’s golf team.

“Our break in the winter is a big challenge for us,” Wittler said. “We don’t get to play on the course, and we’re stuck inside for a little bit. That’s some time that we have to focus on our short game and putting.”

With two invitationals left this fall, Stelman said the team has to remain consistent.

“With golf it’s a lot of (a) mental as well as physical toll on you, so taking one shot at a time and realizing we do have the talent and capability, but not getting too far ahead of ourselves,” Stelman said.

Carnegie Mellon University hosts their next tournament, the Tartan Invitational, on Oct. 7-8, and the Gators will travel to Rochester, New York for the Nazareth Invitational on Oct. 12-13.

“I think they’re going to go really well,” Stelman said. “We’re all amped up on our win from Sunday and Monday. If we continue to practice hard and play well, I see really big things for us in the future.”