The Falcon women’s golf team hits the links for the first time for the season today. The six person squad is led by coach Stephanie Young, who is entering her fourth season. The team will be looking to capitalize a fall season that saw the Falcons set a record for lowest team 72 hole scoring average. BG will be returning all six golfers from the 2008 fall season which saw the team finish a disappointing eighth at the Mid-American Conference Championships. The Falcons, known for their excellence in the classroom, will be looking to turn it around on the course this season, and with the addition of new assistant coach Carley Hrusovsky, the girls are in a prime position to do so. Hrusovsky, a four year letter winner at BG and two year team captain, was all-MAC academic first team in 2007-2008. And in an era where the athlete in student athlete is often overstressed, the Falcons have their priorities in order, stressing academics first. ‘The fall semester is difficult because the girls miss a lot of class,’ Hrusovsky said. ‘Our team has a tradition of getting good grades, and we want the girls we bring in to have the same.’ As for success on the links, Young sees promising season in the Falcons’ future. ‘This fall we shot a team score of 298, which was a University scoring record,’ Young said. When asked if the team’s youth this season may lead to an inconsistent season, Young was optimistic that the team would focus on the task at hand. ‘Statistically, we are young,’ Young said. ‘But with all of the girls getting so much experience over the fall, they are not as young as they appear.’ And if the fall season is any indication of what is in store for the spring, the Falcons should have a solid season. Sophomore Megan Bader got her season started with a bang, shooting a single round 71 at Grand Valley Country Club in the team’s first tournament last fall. The score was only one shot off the all time individual scoring record in University history. ‘I am really excited for the spring,’ Bader said. ‘I thought I played really well in the fall and the team has talked about breaking the school scoring records multiple times this spring. With the team building exercises we have been through this season, we should be successful.’ Team captain Lauren Glew, who finished the fall tied for the teams low scoring average (80.8) is excited to get back out on the course. ‘With our new indoor training facility, we are more prepared and confident as a team coming out of winter than ever before,’ Glew said. As for improving on last season’s disappointing finish in the MAC Championship, Glew was optimistic. ‘We would like to move into the top half of the MAC for sure,’ Glew said. ‘With the team building exercises we have been through this season, we should be successful.’ After this week’s tournament in Rio Verde Ariz., the Falcons will not be back in action until April 5, when they travel to Illinois for the Bradley Invitational.