The women’s golf team kicked off its spring season with a win at home at the Time Warner Racer Classic. Originally planned for Monday and Tuesday, the tournament was moved due to impending winter weather. The last minute schedule change didn’t affect the Racers, who won the tournament with a team score of 600.

“I think they handled the adjustment well,” Head Coach Velvet Milkman said. “It is a little bit of shock, because you feel like you have four days to prepare and then all of a sudden you only have two. But we were ready to play, because we’ve been practicing for so long.”

Senior Delaney Howson led the team, taking the co-medalist honor with a score of 146 over two rounds.

This tournament gives Howson five medalist honors as a Racer, including last year’s spring home tournament.

“It’s always nice to win your home tournament,” Howson said. “I didn’t play my best that day, but it was still nice to be able to tie for first. That was one of my goals – to win that tournament this year again.”

Freshman Jacklyn Van Meter also made the tournament team, tying for third place with a total score of 149, with her freshman teammate Sydney Trimble close behind at 151.

Freshman Minta Yin and sophomore Sophie Hillier carded scores of 155 and 160.

“Obviously I’m proud of Delaney – we expect her to do that, that’s her role – but the other players have to step up as well, and they did that,” Milkman said. “They’re going to be a little up and down, but as a whole I think they do a very good job.”

Howson said her team performed as she had expected.

“I knew they’d be a little nervous going into the first round,” she said. “It’s the first round of the year and a home tournament, so a lot of people’s parents were out there. I was glad to see them play very well.”

Howson also said the lure of warmer weather is part of the excitement of the spring season.

“I mean, some of my favorite tournaments are in the spring. It’s nice that the OVC Championship is at a different course. The course is really nice.”

Howson said playing on courses that are in better condition is always a bonus.

Next up, the Racers travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., to play in Southern Mississippi’s Lady Eagle Invitational tournament Monday and Tuesday.

“We leave Saturday, which is good,” Milkman said. “We’ll be able to get to some normal weather. The practice day is going to be a key day. It always is, but we haven’t touched a club in three days, so we’ll put in a little extra there.”

Story by Mallory Tucker, Staff writer