Howell, Mich. -- No AQ golfer finished first. None finished second, either. But when the scores came in Friday at the Cleary Fall Invitational, the Saints women had something better to take home during Homecoming week: the team trophy. Quinn Clement placed third, Jayda Kerns fifth, and Ellie Christian and Ava Clark tied for seventh, giving first-year head coach Chance Fry four golfers among the top eight and his first team victory with the Maroon and White. It was a win built across the lineup, with Aquinas finishing four strokes ahead of host Cleary at Chemung Hills Country Club.  A great start to the Aquinas Homecoming Weekend.

Women: 1st, 348 (+64) | Men: 4th, 323 (+35)

Women's Results  -  1st of seven scoring teams

The Saints shot 348 on the par-71 course to beat Cleary's 352. Lawrence Tech's B team was third at 373. While Lawrence Tech's Alix Schickele won the individual title with a 77 and Cleary's Gabi Nowicki took second with an 81, Aquinas placed four golfers in the top seven. That depth made the difference in the team standings.

Clement set the pace for AQ with an 84 (+13), taking third in the 37-player field. Kerns was two strokes back at 86 (+15), good for fifth. Christian and Clark each carded an 89 (+18) and shared seventh, completing the four scores that counted toward the Saints' winning total. Zoey Quinn rounded out the Aquinas lineup with a 101 (+30).

A week earlier, both Aquinas teams had closed their season opener with their best rounds of that tournament. The women carried that progress into Friday's event and turned it into a victory. There was no single round Aquinas had to lean on to win this one; Clement, Kerns, Christian and Clark each earned a place near the top, and together they put the Saints in first.

Men's Results - 4th of 10 teams

The Aquinas men came within two strokes of a podium finish, shooting 323 (+35) on the par-72 course. Mott Community College won the 10-team event at 310, with Cleary's A team second at 311 and Lawrence Tech's B team third at 321. Aquinas finished fourth, six strokes ahead of Cleary's B team.

Austin Pitsch led the Saints with a 77 (+5), tying for seventh among 51 golfers. AJ Bishop followed with an 81 (+9) to place 15th, and Andrew Kurowski's 82 (+10) put him in a tie for 16th. Benjamin Holloway shot 83 (+11), tying for 20th and completing AQ's team score. Max Baragar added an 85 (+13) to tie for 28th.

Pitsch gave Aquinas a top-10 individual finish, and the Saints put four golfers in the top 20. The team result fell short of what the men wanted, but the narrow gap to third gave them something concrete to carry into their next event.

Saints Snapshots

• The Trophy Took Four: Clement, Kerns, Christian and Clark all finished in the top seven to bring the women's team title home to Aquinas.
• First Place Without First Place: No Saint finished higher than third individually, but AQ's strength across its four counting scores won the day.
• Four Strokes Clear: Aquinas held off host Cleary, 348-352, for Fry's first team victory as head coach.
• Pitsch in the Top 10: His 77 led the men and earned a share of seventh in a 51-player field.
• Men Near the Podium: Four AQ golfers finished in the top 20 as the Saints placed fourth, two strokes behind third.

Coach's Comments

Fry credited the women for meeting the challenge of the course and for the way they have helped him settle into his new role.

"I'm extremely proud of the women for taking care of business on a challenging course," Fry said. "It was good to see them finish ahead of a few conference opponents before the WHAC Preview next week. They've made my transition into this role so much fun, and they represent Aquinas with class every time they step on the course."

Fry also praised the men's effort while looking ahead to their next chance to compete.

"This wasn't the result the men were looking for, but they battled hard and showed integrity on a challenging course," Fry said. "I think their games are trending in the right direction, and I'm encouraged by what I'm seeing as we work toward the conference preview."

Up Next

The Aquinas women return to competition Sept. 27–29 at the WHAC Preview Event. The men will compete Sept. 28–29 at The Battle at Blackthorn at Blackthorn Club in Indiana.

Visit AQSaints.com for scores, results and coverage of Aquinas golf and all other Saints sports.

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