SARTELL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's golf team kicks off its 2017 season this weekend, heading to Blackberry Ridge Golf Course in Sartell, Minn., on Saturday and Sunday for the 36-hole Saint Benedict Invitational.
 
The Saint Benedict Invite Field:
• Saint Benedict, Saint Mary's, Augsburg, Saint Mary's, Waldorf, Carleton, Augsburg, St. Thomas, St. Catherine, Gustavus, Bethel, St. Olaf, Macalester, University of Manitoba
 
Saint Mary's at Saint Benedict Invitational—A Year Ago:
• September 3-4, 2016 * Sartell, Minn.: Kaitlin Kling (LeRoy, Minn.)—coming off a career-best round of 77 during the opening round of the Saint Benedict Invitational—was once again Saint Mary's team leader in the final round, carding an 88 to help the Cardinals to a 10th-place finish. Kling—whose five-over-par 77 was not only a career-best, but also the lowest round by a Cardinal since Andrea Hanke carded a school-record 74 during the Luther Invitational in 2004—entered the final round of the 36-hole tournament sitting third overall, before settling for a 19^th-place finish following her Day 2 88 | Day 1 Recap * Day 2 Recap
 
Saint Mary's Up Next:
• The Cardinals head to Prairie Links Golf Course in Waverly Iowa, next Saturday and Sunday, taking part in the 36-hole Wartburg Invitational.
 
Scouting The Saint Mary's Cardinals:
2017 Roster | 2017 Schedule | 2016 Statistics
• Kaitlin Kling (LeRoy, Minn.) closed out her junior year having enjoyed her best season as a Cardinal—capped by her record-setting 159 36-hole total at the D3 Classic on Sept. 17-18. Kling opened the two-day tournament with an 80, and followed that up with a second-round 79. … Kling's 159 total at the D3 is four shots better than the previous school record of 163 (82-81) set by Andrea Hanke at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational in 2004. … After not posting a round below 82 in her first two seasons, Kling recorded four rounds of 80 or better last season—including a pair of 79s and a career-best, five-over-par 77 during the first day of the Saint Benedict Invitational on Sept. 3. … Kling's career-best 77 was just three shots shy of the school record 74 shot by Andrea Hanke at the Luther Invitational during the 2004 season. … Kling posted rounds of 81-86-94—261 at the MIAC Championships in early October, and has now shot 88 or better in 17 of her last 20 competitive rounds. … Madison Gately (Glenview, Ill.), who recorded scores of 91-89-86—266 at the conference championships, notched a career-best 82 during the opening round of the D3 Classic on Sept. 17. … Ana Reding (Orting, Wash.) chipped in her best collegiate score at the D3 Classic—an 88—during the second round of the two-day tournament. … Michaela Heuckendorf (Plymouth, Minn.) shot a career-best second-round 95 at the Wartburg Invitational on Sept. 11. … Kling finished the year owning a team-low 85.00 scoring average, with Gately second at 89.89. … As a team, Saint Mary's carded a season-best 363 during the second round of the Wartburg Invitational on Sept. 11, while adding a 364 in the second round of the D3 Classic on Sept. 18.