The Briar Cliff women's golf team concluded day one of the GPAC Championships on Monday afternoon at the Spencer Country Club in Spencer, Iowa. The Charger women participated in 36 holes of golf on day one and are scheduled to play 18 more tomorrow.

ROUND ONE
The Chargers fired a round-one team score of 351 (+63). Following round one, the Blue and Gold found themselves in the lead with a five-stroke advantage over second-place Northwestern.

"I'm proud of the ladies for battling through today", said head coach Ben Irlbeck. "Our focus needs to stay on each shot individually. We have a great game plan for the course."

Helene Getz Bergmo and Grace Johanson charged out front for the Cliff in round one after nearly matching each other with the scores of 82 (+10) and 84 (+12), respectively. Bergmo found eight pars in her opening round and had a streak of four straight pars on the front nine. Johanson recorded seven pars in round one. She stayed consistent through the front nine and the back nine, firing the score of 42 (+6) on both halves.

Frankie Valencia didn't stray too far behind, concluding her opening round with the score of 90 (+18). Valencia tallied seven pars en route to a four-stroke improvement between the two nines. On the front, Valencia fired a 47 (+11), whereas on the back, she found her rhythm and shot a 43 (+7).

Abbigale Miller rounded out the scoring for the Cliff, making the turn with the score of 95 (+23). Miller's round saw four pars, all being carded on the back nine. She earned a three-stroke improvement from the front nine to the back as she fired the scores of 49 (+13) and 46 (+10), respectively. Kelly Baade wrapped up round one for Briar Cliff with the score of 96 (+24). Baade managed to sink three pars in round one.
 
ROUND TWO
The Chargers fired a round-two team score of 347 (+59). At the end of day one, the Cliff sat atop the team standings with a 12-stroke lead.

Bergmo was the low gal again in round two for the Chargers after walking off the final green with another 82 (+10). She matched her front nine and back nine scores from the opening round, carding a 40 (+4) and 42 (+6), respectively. In round two, Bergmo tallied 10 pars to surge her into a tie for the tournament lead with one round to go.

"Helene stayed strong through the finish today", said Irlbeck. "She's been a top contender all spring. Knowing it'll be her, Megan Hinker from Dakota Wesleyan or Sofia Castelan from Morningside will make tomorrow's individual race a fun one!

Valencia worked her way into the top-10 with a solid second-round score of 84 (+12). Valencia, after recording an opening-round 90, carded the first birdie of the tournament for the Chargers on her fourth hole of round two. Her birdie was assisted by six pars, five of those being carded on the back nine. After day one of the 2023 GPAC Championships, Valencia rests in a solo sixth place.

"Frankie started slow, but came on strong for the second round", explained Irlbeck. "The more she plays, the better she gets, so tomorrow should be a solid day for her!"

Johanson is BC's third member in the top-10 after sinking her final putt of round two to record the score of 94 (+22). Johanson found two pars in the second round, one on the first hole and one on the last. Thanks to her low round of 84 in the opening 18 holes, Johanson sits in a tie for ninth place heading into the final round.

Miller garnered the largest improvement for the Chargers, returning to the clubhouse with the round-two score of 87 (+15), an eight-stroke improvement from round one. Miller started hot in round two, recording five pars on the front nine en route to a first half score of 41 (+5). She scrambled for two pars in her final four holes of the day. Miller preps for day two in a tie for 20th place.

"Grace, Abbigale, and Kelly swapped scored back and forth today", noted Irlbeck. "We're looking for them to get us a couple of solid counting scores in the 80s tomorrow."

Baade concluded day one for the Cliff, recording the second-round score of 94 (+22), a two-stroke improvement from round one. Baade fought hard in round two to card four pars and currently resides in a tie for 37th place with one round left of play.

"It really comes down to mentally grinding through the rest of the event tomorrow", said Irlbeck. "Playing 36 holes in one day is a grueling affair. The ladies will be tired tonight, I know all the coaches are!"

Briar Cliff currently holds a 12-stroke lead in their first-place position prior to the final round. Bergmo and Hinker are in a tie for first, one stroke ahead of third place and seven shots ahead of fourth place.

The Charger women return to action tomorrow morning for the final round of the GPAC Championships at the Spencer Country Club in Spencer, Iowa. Tee times and pairings can be found at bcuchargers.com

Chargers at the event (Bold = team-low round):
T1        Helene Getz Bergmo               164 (82-82)
6          Frankie Valencia                       174 (90-84)
T9        Grace Johanson                       178 (84-94)
T20      Abbigale Miller                         182 (95-87)
T37      Kelly Baade                               190 (96-94)