After last week’s fifth-place finish in a season where first place has been the norm, the Grand Valley State University women’s golf team returned home for its last fall event and first home tournament of the season.

At the Laker Fall Classic, the team placed first over 15 notable teams from all over the country, including California University of Pennsylvania, Ashland University and University of Indianapolis.

“It was great to end the fall season with a victory at our own tournament,” said GVSU head coach Rebecca Mailloux. “We put together a good round today. The Meadows is one of the harder courses we’ve played all year, so to post a 308 in the final round under the pressure of being only five ahead was tough, but we’re really happy about the result.”

The Lakers successfully defended their home turf, winning by four strokes overall with senior Sarah Hoffman playing a 69 in the first round and a 76 in the final to finish at 145 ( 1) and capture her third-straight individual title.

Hoffman, who played the tournament’s only round in the 60s during the first round, said that the season’s end was bittersweet for her.

“My senior year is flying by, but there’s plenty of golf left to play in the spring,” she said. “I’m just glad we could end the season on such a high note.”

When asked about her third consecutive first place ranking, Hoffman said she’s always happier when her winnings coincide with the teams.

“Even though we may play as individuals, golf is still a team sport, so it’s always better when the team wins too,” Hoffman said. “Our home course is tough, but we’re expected to do better there, so it was even more special to get a win, especially because we have all the fans and parents supporting us.”

Freshman Kelly Hartigan and sophomore Veronica Ryan both had strong weekends at the par-72 course, tying for ninth place in the individual standings with a 157 ( 13).

“We definitely did better than yesterday, and we were happy to pull off a win at our home course,” Hartigan said. “We have a good mentality and we’re excited for the spring season.”

The Lakers gained a narrow lead in the first round of the competition, which took place on Saturday, and managed to maintain it until the end. This win is merely the eight and last in a long string of first place rankings during this season.

“Yesterday, they weren’t on top of their game,” Mailloux said. “It was similar to the final round in Dallas, Texas. The reason the scores were elevated there was because the forty mile per hour winds we had to deal with there, but we ended up not playing well. Today, they were much more confident. They went out and played some good golf and didn’t over-think it. It was a much better overall performance.

With their fall season finished, the Lakers will take a much-needed break from golf, but plan to stay in practice during the offseason.

“We’ve got to work on some fundamentals first,” Mailloux said. “But the goal for the spring is obviously to make it to Nationals and see what we can do.”

[email protected]