By Jacob Norling
October 3, 2023
 
(SANTA ROSA, Calif.) After competing against NAIA and NCAA Div. III teams in their first tournament of the season, Westmont Women's Golf competed in their first NCAA Division II tournament this week, when the Warriors competed at the Sonoma State Fall Invitational. At the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club, Westmont finished in ninth place with a team score of +58.
 
Cal State San Marcos won the tournament with a score of +9, while Sonoma State, Hawaii Pacific, and Cal State Monterey Bay all tied for runner-up with a score of +19.

"This was our first NCAA Div. II event, so it was nice to see some new teams and meet new people," offered Westmont head coach Josh Ault. "Overall, while we didn't play our best, I believe the experience was valuable. We talked a lot about winning our process and mindfulness- trying to be fully committed for every golf swing."
 
Individually, freshman Noelle Thompson remarkably followed up her collegiate debut from early September with an identical two-round score. For the second time in as many tries, the freshman shot four over par between the two rounds, with a two round total of 148. This time around, Thompson struggled to find her footing in round one, shooting five over par on the first day.
 
On day two, however, Thompson utilized three birdies and 13 pars to shoot -1, allowing the freshman to finish in a tie for ninth place.

"We were very proud of Noelle," said Ault. "It's impressive, finishing top-10 in her first NCAA tournament. She fired a -1 under par on Tuesday, and closed it with back-to-back birdies."
 
Behind Thompson, fellow freshman Hannah Camara was Westmont's next-highest finisher, coming in a 43rd-place tie with a score of 161. Camara's better of the two rounds came on Monday when she shot five over par, before shooting 12 over on Tuesday. Camara did collect nine pars during her final round.
 
Charlie Bloom posted an identical score to Camara, with the junior shooting 161 over the two rounds. Bloom's best round came during the tournament's first day, when she shot four over par. Elizabeth Oloteo finished one stroke behind Bloom at 162, after scoring eight over par during the tournament's final day.
 
Also competing was Sydnee Magpoc, who finished tied for 47th place (163), and Mallory Hopper, who finished in 57th place (167).

Ault concluded, "One thing we need to improve upon is learning how to show professionalism. The mark of a really good player is when they can stabilize their off days, and still grind out a score in the 70's. The competition is tougher now, and so as head coach, I need to do a better job of preparing these ladies so they can be the best they are capable of being."
 
Westmont returns to action next week in Goleta, when the Warriors host the Westmont Invitational at Sandpiper Golf Course.