LAKE CITY, MINN. – After setting a program record for total round and single round in their season-opening meet, the University of Sioux Falls Women's Golf Team will look to continue their fast start to the fall season at the Golden Bear Classic at The Jewel Golf Club in Lake City, Minn., on Sept. 16-17.

The Cougars squad, which is directed by first-year head coach Tavia Rutherford, finished seventh at the 2019 Central Region Preview at the Adams Golf Course in Blue Springs, Mo., in early September. The Golden Bear Classic will be a two-round tourney and hosted by Concordia-St. Paul. Aside from host school CSP, other teams at the Golden Bear Classic will be several from the NSIC (Minot State, Augustana, Minnesota State, St. Cloud State, Winona State, MSU Moorhead, Bemidji State, Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota Crookston) along with Nebraska-Kearney and Black Hills State. The tournament will start at 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 16.
 
Cougars set program marks at Central Region Preview
Led by senior Lexi Hanson and freshman Maggie Veenendall, USF set a two-round DII program record of 612 and finished seventh at the Central Region Preview on Sept. 3-4. In the opening round of the tourney, USF recorded the best round of the DII era at 303, which placed the Cougars in a tie for second place with Henderson State and Central Missouri. On day two, the Cougars finished just slightly off the opening day pace with a 309, which bettered the best mark of a year ago by three strokes. USF was seventh at 612 (303-309) but just three shots from fifth and had the lowest two rounds in the program's DII history.

Central Missouri won the tournament at 602 (303-299) with Henderson State, second at 603 (303-300). After those two teams, Nebraska-Kearney was third at 607 (313-294) with SW Oklahoma State, fourth at 608 (311-297), Rogers State, fifth at 609 (302-307), Northeastern State, sixth at 610 (307-303) and then USF. The Cougars had the best finish among NSIC teams with Minnesota State at 9^th (625-311-314) and Upper Iowa, 14^th (648-323-325).

USF's top four players, Lexi Hanson (74-76-150), Maggie Veenendall (75-76-151), Sydney Hubbard (76-78-154) and Alex Nutter (78-79-157) all shot sub 80 rounds on consecutive days for the first time as a group at USF. Both Hubbard and Nutter had career-best totals across two rounds with Hanson one shot off her career-best score.

Hanson, a two-time All-NSIC performer and NCAA DII regional qualifier for two straight seasons, opened with a 74 and finished with a 76 as she carded a team-best 150, which placed her a tie for 11^th. Hanson's 150 is just one shot off her career-best of 149 (74-75) at the Ramada Mustang Invite on Sept. 22-23, 2018.

Maggie Veenendall opened her career with an impressive three-over par 75 and closed at 76 for a sizzling two-round total 151 and a tie for 14^th.

Besides Hanson and Veenendall, USF had solid efforts from three juniors in the opening round.

Sydney Hubbard tied for 27^th as she opened at 76 and then had a 78 in day two for a two-round score of 154, which established a career-best for the junior standout. She also had back-to-back sub-80 rounds for the first time. All-NSIC Alex Nutter was tied for 36^th with a two-round total of 157, which was also her career-best two-round total. She followed up her day one 78 by carding a 79. Lexi Jonas finished at 168 or a tie for 74^th. She opened with an 80 and closed at 88 on day two.

In addition, freshman Annie Balduzzi finished tied for 59^th as she played as an individual and had a strong day two performance. After opening at 85, she closed with a 78 for a two-round total of 163.    

USF projected in tie for third in NSIC
In the NSIC Coaches Poll, USF finished with 91 points and tied with Concordia St. Paul for third. Augustana was voted as the league favorite and just edged Minnesota State in vote points, 114-to-113. Both AU and MSU received six first place ballots. USF's Lexi Hanson  was named USF's "Player to Watch."

Quick USF Preview –
USF Women's Golf Team claimed fourth place at the league championships a year ago. USF finished the 2018 tourney at 132 over par and 996 (328-328-341). The Cougars will look to move up as the team returns its entire starting lineup. Hubbard and Hanson finished at 28-over par and 244 at the NSIC tournament as they finished tied for 11^th place. Nutter also placed in the top 20 with a 17^th place finish as she was 36-over par and had a 252.
 
For the season, the Cougars averaged 326.56 shots per round with Hanson leading the way at 79.67 in 21 rounds. Nutter was second at 81.11 with Hubbard at 82.72 for third best on the team.  The Cougars twice shot a season team-best round of 312 in 2018.

Individual Notes for Starters

Hansen qualified for the NCAA DII regionals and finished 52^nd as she became the second USF golfer to reach the DII regionals in back-to-back seasons. Hanson, a criminal justice and psychology double major, was a second team All-NSIC selection in 2018-19. She had a solid season as a junior with five top-10 and nine top-20 finishes among the nine competitions and 18 rounds played. Hanson, who has 10 career top-10 finishes, was 11th individually at the NSIC Championship with a 244 (80-83-81) in Morton, Minn on April 26-28.  

Nutter, who is a junior elementary education major, opened the season with a 36^th place finish at the Central Region Preview. She finished with a career high of 157 as she carded a 78-79. She placed 17th at the 2019 NSIC Women's Golf Championship with a 36-over par 252 (81-83-88) last spring. Nutter, who was named NSIC Golfer of the Week on April 10, 2018, twice has carded a career-best 154 including at the Central Region Preview (75-79) and at the Augustana Invitational (76-78) on Sept. 29-30, 2018. She has had 10 top-20 finishes in her career. She also had three top-10 placements and now has five in her career.  
 
Hubbard, who had a 82.72 scoring average in 18 rounds on 1,489 shots in 2018-19, opened the season with a career-best 154 (78-76) at the Central Region Preview. Prior to that, she had a best two-round total of 161 in the fall of 2018 after rounds of 82-79 at the Ramada Mustang Invite. A junior biology major from Onalaska, Wis.,Hubbard has four career sub 80 rounds and recorded two in 2018-19 – 79 in second round of Ramada Mustang Invite and 79 in the second round of the Central Region Preview in 2018. Her career-best round of 75 was carded in the final round of the NSIC Championships in 2017 (88-82-75-245). Hubbard highlighted her play for USF in 2018-19 with a "hole in one" on hole No. 2 (174-yards) at the Jennies Invite on March 25-26, 2018. It was the first hole in one by a USF player in 2018. At the NSIC Championship last spring, she was tied for 11^th with a three-round total of 244 (81-80-83).

Jonas, who had an 85.39 per round average with 1,537 shots on 18 rounds in 2018-19, opened with rounds of 80-88 for a two-round total of 168 at the Central Region Preview. A junior exercise science major from Hudson, Wis., Jonas had her best performance of the fall (2018) at the Ramada Mustang Invite. She shot a two-round total of 157 (79-78). The 78 by Jonas in the second round of the Ramada Mustang Invite was her top round of the season. She has recorded three sub-80 rounds including a career-best 77 in the second round of the Tracy Lane Memorial on Sept. 11-12, 2017. At the NSIC Championship in 2018, Jonas carded a three-round total of 263 (89-81-93).
 
Two USF freshmen shined in their opening forays with USF Women's Golf. Maggie Veenendall, a freshman from New Richmond, Wis., opened her career with an impressive three-over par 75 and closed at 76 for a sizzling two-round total 151 and a tie for 14^th. In addition, freshman Annie Balduzzi of Onalaska, Wis., finished tied for 59^th as she played as an individual and had a strong day two performance. After opening at 85, she closed with a 78 for a two-round total of 163.    

Veenendall is a four-time, first team all-conference recipient while attending New Richmond High School, she was named Middle Border Conference Player of the Year three times. One of Veenendall's biggest accomplishments was leading the Tiger golf program to a sectional championship and the Division 1 state tournament appearance in 2018. She finished tied for sixth with a two-day total of 156 (81-75), helping her to all-tournament honors. She had a 9-hole scoring average for conference meets of 38.78 and 18- hole scoring average of 77.6. With a career-best score of 71, she earned medalist honors at the Superior Invitational in 2018.
 
Balduzzi joined USF after a decorated high school and junior golf career. One of the best golfers in the state of Wisconsin, Balduzzi attended Aquinas High School. A three-sport athlete, Balduzzi lettered in golf, basketball and softball. She was a four-time first team all-conference recipient, three-time Mississippi Valley Conference individual champion (2015, 2016, 2017), and was named the Mississippi Valley Conference Player of the Year this past season. She placed second in the Division 2 Wisconsin High School State Golf Tournament in October. Balduzzi, who finished in the top-10 as an individual at the state tournament in each of the last three years (2016, 2017, 2018), led her team to the Wisconsin state title in 2017. She had a nine-hole scoring average in conference matches at 39.0 and 79.0 for 18-hole tournaments.