Brandon Vanenburg
The Great Danes completed their season as they finished second at the MAAC championships at Disney’s Magnolia Course in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
The Great Danes scored 908. They had a great start, scoring 296 to open the tournament, the lowest round among all nine teams involved.
Standout freshman Claudia Blöchliger played a huge role in their success as she led the team shooting three shots under par. Blöchliger led the tournament with 11 birdies.
Blöchliger remained in first place with an even-par from 36 holes for most of the competition. Her total score was 220 which saw her finish in third place.
Mariel Tee and Madison Walker had great performances as well. Tee golfed the lowest score of day two, an even-par (72), and overall finished in fourth individually. Walker finished in 10th place in her final game.
On day three, UAlbany golfed a 310 to follow Quinnipiac’s sub-300 score. The Bobcats’ score was good enough to place them in first place for the championship title, led by Leeyen Peralta Kaylee Sakoda.
UAlbany Head Coach Cashman said that she is proud of her players for overcoming adversity. “I couldn't be more proud of this team and the grit they possessed this week,” said Cashman. “Considering we arrived in Florida and played the practice round with just four players while leaving the other two in the hotel sick, we knew it would be a battle this weekend. To be leading after not just the first but also the second round was an awesome feeling…It was almost a Cinderella story! That would have been pretty cool but I'm still very proud of all of them."
Following the end of the season, multiple Great Danes were recognized for their performance this season. For her efforts in the championship tournament, Blöchliger was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Freshman of the Year. Joining Blöchliger in the postseason honors were Tee, and Walker, as all three women were named to the All-MAAC Team.
It was a successful season for the women’s golf team and they will look to next year to build on the success of this campaign.