SAVANNAH, Ga. - Saint Mary's College Golf kicked off their spring season with a 17th place finish at the Savannah Invitational, shooting 317-317 on the two-day event as a team. The field featured 18 programs ranked in the Top 70 of NCAA Division III. Of the 18, nine were ranked in the Top 25 and four sit inside the Top 10.
 
Sophomore Melanie Maier (Richmond, TX) led the way for Saint Mary's, shooting 77-78 on the event. She finished the tournament T49 after finishing nine-over. Maier tallied three birdies in her first round of the spring, birdieing two of the par-fives and finishing off her Monday round with a birdie as well. 
 
Seniors Amanda Melling (East Lansing, MI) and Julia Lizak (Riverview, MI) finished close behind one another, Melling finishing T59 while Lizak finished in 67th. Melling shot a 77-81, finishing 12-over, in the first tournament of the spring, finishing the first day tied with the lowest score for the Belles on the week. Lizak shot 80–79 in her two rounds, finishing 13-over. She shot a one-under 35 on the back-nine in round two to complete her first tournament rounds.
 
Junior Colleen Hand (Royal Oak, MI) rounded out the scorers for the Belles, shooting 83-82 on the weekend. Hand would finish T86 place with a 19-over final score while adding a birdie on the par three eighth hole. Freshman Katharine Swain (South Bend, IN) followed Hand with a 92nd place finish, finishing 21-over, and shooting 88-79 on the two-day event. Swain's second day 79 was the lowest round of her collegiate career as she added two birdies on the day.
 
Saint Mary's also sent four golfers to compete in the Port City Classic, also in Savannah, GA. As a team they finished T12 on the weekend, shooting 358-346.
 
Freshman Kate Plessinger (Columbus, OH) led the Belles with a T36 finish after shooting 90-83 on the tournament. Plessinger birdied her first hole of round two and added another in round one. Plessinger was followed by sophomore KJ Walters (Kalamazoo, MI) who, in her first collegiate tournament, finished T42 after shooting 86-90. Her 86 in round one led the Belles on the day after she would birdie two of her first five holes. 
 
Freshman Nina Notaro (Crystal Lake, IL) finished her first collegiate tournament with an 86-91, finishing T47. Notaro added a birdie on the par three 11th hole in her first round. Sophomore Ella Notaro (Crystal Lake, IL) followed her sister with a T51 finish after shooting, 96-82. Ella Notaro's second round 82 was the lowest round score on the tournament for the Belles at the Port City Classic as she added two birdies in round two and one in round one as well as her lowest collegiate career round score.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE BELLES
Saint Mary's will return to action on March 29-30 as they head to Farmington, MO to take part in the WashU Spring Invitational at Crown Point Golf Club.