Grand Rapids, Mich. -- One swing gave Ashlyn VanderBaan a story she can tell for a lifetime. Three rounds gave the Aquinas women plenty more to celebrate. And across the state line, the Saints men were putting together progress of their own. Competing in separate tournaments, the Maroon and White delivered an early week filled with career lows, a school-record tie, a women's closing round that has AQ checking the record book and a 58-stroke improvement for the men.

Women: WHAC Fall Preview — 3rd, 965 (+101)
Men: Battle at Blackthorn — Tied for 7th, 608 (+32)

Women's Results: An Ace and a Step Forward

The Aquinas women followed their Cleary Fall Invitational championship with a third-place finish at the WHAC Fall Preview, contested Sept. 27–29 at Stonehedge North Golf Course in Augusta, Mich. AQ shot consecutive rounds of 325 before closing with 315, trimming 10 strokes from its team score on the final day. That closing performance is being checked against the program's records as a possible school record. Whether it claims the top spot or not, the 315 stands among the best team rounds in Aquinas women's golf history.

Lawrence Tech won with 918 (+54), while Northwestern Ohio finished second at 959 (+95). The Saints finished just six strokes behind UNOH and 51 ahead of fourth-place Indiana Tech.

Senior Zoey Quinn led Aquinas with a sixth-place finish, improving each round with scores of 81, 78 and 77. Her 236 (+20) tied the program record for the lowest 54-hole total, according to head coach Chance Fry, and her closing 77 established a career low.

Senior Jayda Kerns gave AQ a second golfer among the top seven, finishing seventh with 238 (+22). Kerns opened with 81, followed with 78 and closed with 79, joining Quinn in recording two rounds in the 70s.

Sophomore Quinn Clement and freshman VanderBaan tied for 14th at 249 (+33), reaching the same total through different paths. Clement opened with a career-low 79 before rounds of 88 and 82. VanderBaan improved throughout the tournament, following an 89 with 83 and a career-low 77.

But VanderBaan's final round contained a number even more memorable than 77.

One.

The Hudsonville, Mich., native and secondary education major recorded a hole-in-one on the par-3 second hole. She also made birdies on Nos. 8 and 14, finishing with 39 on the front nine and 38 on the back. Her closing round moved her six places up the leaderboard and helped Aquinas produce its lowest team round of the tournament.

Junior Ava Clark finished 24th with 260 (+44), shooting 84, 86 and 90. Fellow junior Ellie Christian competed as an individual and placed 25th with 261 (+45), improving from 92 to 86 to 83.

Across the lineup, Aquinas recorded six rounds in the 70s. Three Saints established career lows, Quinn matched a school record, and VanderBaan supplied the shot of the tournament for AQ. Coming off their Homecoming-week title, the women added another encouraging chapter to their fall.

Men's Results: Progress Across the Lineup

The Aquinas men competed Sept. 28–29 at the Battle at Blackthorn in Indiana, finishing tied for seventh with Holy Cross among nine teams. The Saints opened with 299 on the par-72 course before shooting 309 in the final round for 608 (+32).

According to Fry, the Saints improved their team score relative to par by 58 strokes from their previous tournament. That substantial step forward gave AQ plenty to build on, even against a strong field at Blackthorn.

Taylor won with 564 (-12), while Bethel and Mount Vernon Nazarene tied for second at 589 (+13).

Senior Austin Pitsch paced Aquinas with an even-par 72 in the opening round and a closing 75. His 147 (+3) earned a tie for 13th in the 49-player field.

Senior Carsen Miller followed with 153 (+9), shooting 75 and 78 to tie for 25th. Freshman AJ Bishop and sophomore Benjamin Holloway shared 29th at 154 (+10). Bishop recorded rounds of 75 and 79, while Holloway posted consecutive 77s.

Junior Andrew Kurowski completed the Saints' lineup with 156 (+12), shooting 77 and 79 to tie for 36th.

All five Aquinas golfers kept both rounds in the 70s. Pitsch's even-par opener led the way, while Miller, Bishop and Holloway supplied the other counting scores in AQ's opening 299.

The Saints finished 12 strokes behind Indiana Tech and Olivet Nazarene, which shared fifth. Against a field Fry described as particularly strong, Aquinas showed the improvement its coach had been looking for and gave itself a solid foundation heading into its own conference preview.

Saints Snapshots

• One Swing, Lifetime Memory: VanderBaan's ace on No. 2 punctuated a career-low final round at Stonehedge North.
• Quinn Joins the Record Book: The senior's 236 matched AQ's lowest 54-hole total and secured sixth place.
• The Seventies Show Up in Force: Six women's rounds in the 70s helped the Saints claim third at the WHAC Preview.
• A Finish Worth Checking the Record Book: AQ's closing 315 ranks among the program's best team rounds, with school-record verification underway.
• Pitsch Sets the Pace: An even-par 72 sparked the men's opening 299 at Blackthorn.
• Fifty-Eight Strokes Forward: The men improved by 58 strokes relative to par from their previous tournament, with every Saint recording both Blackthorn rounds in the 70s.

Coach's Comments

Fry pointed to the women's milestones as evidence of the progress taking place throughout the lineup.

"Finishing third at the WHAC Preview is something we can build on, but what really excites me is how many women contributed to this performance," Fry said. "Zoey, Quinn and Ashlyn all had career-low rounds, Zoey tied our school record for a 54-hole total, and we put six scores in the 70s on the board. That's a tremendous week for our program. Ashlyn's hole-in-one made it even more special, and closing with our best team round gives us a lot of confidence moving forward."

For the men, Fry emphasized the improvement behind the final placing.

"This was a very strong field, and our finish doesn't tell the whole story of the progress the men made," Fry said. "Opening with 299 and having every golfer shoot both rounds in the 70s gives us a lot to feel good about. Austin set the tone, and we got contributions throughout the lineup. We still have work to do, but this week showed what this group is capable of, and I'm excited to see us carry that into the WHAC Preview."

Up Next

Women: Aquinas returns to competition Friday, Oct. 9, at the Albion Invitational in Albion, Mich.

Men: The Saints head to Augusta, Mich., for the WHAC Fall Preview, which begins Sunday, Oct. 4.

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