golf

Saints golfers in contention at Carroll Invitational golf tourney

Special to the IR - 09/23/08

Carroll College freshman Jim Mee opened the Carroll Invitational in style by grabbing a share of the first round lead with a 2-under-par 69 at the Green Meadow Country Club Monday. Byron Olson (Montana Tech) and Scott Mooney (Lewis Clark State) also shot first round 69’s.Kevin Oden (Rocky) leads the tournament at even par 142 after 36 holes.Mee followed up with a round of 79 which has him sitting in a tie for 6th place overall.

Carroll Coach Bennett MacIntyre was pleased with his team’s effort.

“We talked about picking up some shots this week and to be sitting within striking distance of first place is quite an accomplishment for our young program,” MacIntyre said. “We have some consistency issues to work on but all in all a good effort today in the conditions.”  As a team Carroll College sits in 3rd place just four shots behind Montana Tech and twelve shots behind Lewis and Clark State College. Carroll College has never won a conference tournament in school history. On the women’s side the Saints were led by sophomore Emily Slayton who fired rounds of 84-86 to put her in a tie for 10th place. The Saints women sit in third place behind Rocky Mountain College and Lewis and Clark State. Rachael Hosterman of Rocky Mountain leads the women’s side with a 158 total. Madeline Jarrett of Lewis and Clark State College sits one shot back at 159. The final round begins today at 8 a.m. at Green Meadow Country Club.

Four Saints named to All-Conference Academic Team

Kelsey Bjelland, Casey Smith, Adam Benson and John Beltrone were all named to the All-Conference Academic Team in the sport of golf.  This past spring, eight golfers were named to the Dean's List at Carroll College.  In the fall the women's golf team had the highest overall GPA for all the athletic teams at Carroll College with an average GPA over 3.5!

Saints end season on positive note, Capture Bandy Award!

Carroll College women finished 3rd place overall in the Conference with the men taking 5th place.  The final Frontier Conference Golf Tournament finshed up on the road in Salt Lake City, UT.   It was a much improved Saints golf program this past season under first year head coach Bennett MacIntyre.  The Saints set several individual and team records.  The finish in Salt Lake was good enough for the Saints to bring home the Bandy Award for the first time since 2004.  The George Bandy Memorial Conference All-Sports Award is Presented annually in the spring to the conference school who has amassed the most points awarded based on league finish in each sport.

The History

Carroll's golf program started in 1998 for the women and in 1999, a men's team was organized. Ray Hunthausen, golf professional at Green Meadow Country Club was the coach. From 2000-2006 Carroll alum Bill Lannan was the coach.  In the Spring of 2006, Bennett MacIntyre became the third coach in the program.