Teams often use youth to explain why their seasons haven't gotten off on the right foot. When asked why her team made so many mistakes a coach might say, "They're young and they need to get used to playing at a new level."

But youth was not an acceptable excuse for the Belles on Saturday. A team that is half freshmen and under the leadership of a first-year coach made quite sure that everyone knew that just because they were young didn't mean they weren't dangerous. They sent that message home with a new school record.

On Sunday at the Ferris State Invitational, the Saint Mary's golf team shot a 342, breaking the previous record and starting off on the right foot — even with a young team.

"It's great to see that young potential that could ultimately lead to a bid for the NCAAs," said sophomore Stefanie Simmerman, who finished first for the Belles at Ferris State.

Saint Mary's ended the fall season last year in third place in the MIAA. The Belles knew they would improve before this season began. They headed into the two-round tournament with expectations to play their best, but those expectations didn't include breaking a school record.

"We didn't expect to break the record as a team," Simmerman said. "Basically, we wanted to go in and play to the best of our ability."

And if you ask them now, they'll say they didn't play to the best of their ability. Following the tournament they talked about how they could have shaved some strokes off their final score. They said they had to focus on some areas of improvement before beginning MIAA play this weekend. They discussed how they could be better.

And they had just broken a record.

"If we can break the school record in the first two-round of the year when we're not playing at our best, what are we going to be doing at the end of the season?" Simmerman said.

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