The Grand Valley State women’s golf team closed out the season with its third consecutive victory, finishing in first place at the Davenport Invitational on Monday. The Davenport Invitational was the last event of the fall season for GVSU, which won three of its six events outright in the fall campaign.

The Lakers battled back from a four-stroke deficit after the first day of play to claim victory over Michigan State. GVSU shot a tournament-best 310 (+22) on the final day to ensure an eight-stroke victory as the Spartans faltered.

“For them to handle that pressure on the final day and come through with an overall good team performance to close out the season says a lot about this team,” said GVSU head coach Rebecca Mailloux.

The clutch second-round performance came on a tougher course. Boulder Creek Golf Club, known for its sloped greens, hosted the first round. The second round was held at Blythefield Country Club, a tougher course from tee to green.

“Yesterday you could get away with a couple errant shots,” said senior Gabrielle Shipley, after second-round action. “I think today called for more precision.”

Shipley led the way for the Lakers for the second straight tournament. She finished atop the field, shooting a 153 (+9) to earn her second individual medal of the season. Shipley struggled in the second round, but gave herself enough of a cushion after a strong first day to finish on top.

“Usually my long game is on point, but I must have left it at home today,” said Shipley after round two. “I kept telling myself to stay focused and keep digging.”

A trio of Lakers finished tied for third. Freshman Alex Amos competed individually, shooting a 156 (+8). Juniors Alex Taylor and Julie Guckian also finished with a two-day score of 156. All three girls improved on their first-day scores.

“I kept it steady with the exception of three holes this weekend,” Guckian said.

Sophomore Samantha Moss finished tied for ninth with a score of 161 (+17). Moss fired a 78 (+6) on day two, a five-stroke improvement from her first-day score.

Junior Danielle Crilley rounded out the scoring for the Lakers. Crilley carded a pair of 81s (162 overall, +18) to finish in 12^th place.

Freshman Mackenzie Blomberg finished tied for 19^th place, firing a two-day score of 168 (+24). Blomberg competed individually for the Lakers.

With the fall season over, the Lakers will transition into offseason workouts before indoor practice starts in January. The team will also continue to participate in hot yoga, which they have done all year.

“We started doing (hot yoga) this year which I think has helped the girls a lot,” Mailloux said.

The Lakers will focus on full swing practice in the Kelly Family Sports Center for the eight weeks of indoor practice. Then they will switch to short-game practice when the team travels south for spring break.

GVSU found fire at the right time to pull off four consecutive first-place finishes ending the season, one of which resulted in a tiebreaker loss. The Lakers will look to reignite the fire when the spring season comes in March.