The Valparaiso University women’s golf team began the 2022-2023 season on Sunday by playing the first two rounds of the Redbird Fall Invitational on a cool and rainy day at the par-72, 6022-yard Weibring Golf Club in Normal, Ill. Sophomore Anna Fay (Ada, Mich. / Forest Hills) turned in a solid showing in both rounds to lead the Beacons.  

How It Happened

• Fay started her season with a 76 (+4) in Round 1 before following with another sub-80 score at 79 (+7) in Round 2. Through 36 holes, she holds a score of 155 that puts her in a tie for 35^th in an 88-player field.
• Sophomore Madison Keil (LaGrange, Ind. / Lakeland) shared the team lead with Fay through one round as she too posted a 76 (+4) over the first 18 holes before following with an 83 in Round 2. Keil finished the day at 159.
• A pair of freshmen made their collegiate debuts on Sunday as Emily Krzyzanowski (Scottsbluff, Neb. / Gering) and Elizabeth Nowaczyk (Scottsdale, Ariz. / BASIS Phoenix) both earned spots in the starting lineup. They finished the day third and fourth on the team, respectively.
• As a squad, Valpo completed the first day of fall competition in 14^th with a team score of 655. The Beacons possess a 16-stroke lead on 15^th-place Southern Indiana, and they are hoping to close in on Indiana State (637, 12^th) and Evansville (638, 13^th) during the event’s final day.
• Butler owns the top spot on the team leaderboard at 594 with 18 holes remaining, while Butler’s Reese Wilson and IUPUI’s Annaliese Fox are tied for medalist honors at 142 (-2).

Inside the Rounds

• Fay’s first-round score of 76 tied her season low from her freshman campaign. In relation to par, the +4 in Round 1 marked an 18-hole best for the sophomore.
• Valpo produced seven birdies on the first day of the tournament, with Fay contributing three and Nowaczyk adding a pair.
• Fay and Keil had 21 pars apiece.
• Fay had a solid showing on par-5 holes, averaging 4.88.
• Four of Valpo’s five starters in the tournament are freshmen or sophomores.

Thoughts from Head Coach Jill McCoy

“The conditions were tough today, which made it a lot like spring golf. Anna did a great job of maintaining her composure for 36 holes and posted two solid rounds. Maddie had a great start on the first 18, and we’re hoping she’ll get her putter working again tomorrow.”

Up Next

The final 18 holes of the event will take place on Monday. A link to live scoring via GolfStat is available on ValpoAthletics.com.