SAINT PETER, Minn. – The 2024 fall season kicks off for the Gustavus golf team this weekend, as then men head to the Augsburg Invite, while the women will take part in the Saint Benedict Invitational. 

Last season, the Gustie men took fourth in the conference while the women finished sixth. The men are nationally ranked heading into their opening weekend, as they made an appearance at No. 25 in the Preseason Bushnell/Golfweek DIII Coaches Poll.  

Experience is certainly the name of the game for the Gustie men, as the team returned all of its seniors from the year prior, in addition to All-Conference selections Teddy Kaste (Sr., Apple Valley) and Chris Gutuza (Jr., Johannesburg, South Africa).

“Our team will have success this year because of our depth,” said Head Coach Scott Moe. “Teddy had a great summer in preparation for his final year. He’s a great competitor and can be one of the top players in an extremely competitive conference.” 

Gutuza has made an impact on the program in his first two years, earning All-Conference recognition in each of his seasons, as well as MIAC and Gustavus Rookie of the Year honors in 2022-23. Moe expects him to continue to grow and lead the team in his junior year. 

“Chris has certainly grown a lot as a team player. He continues to develop his understanding of the game and the need to put together a solid round. He and Teddy were both All-Conference selections last season, and I expect them to earn higher honors this year.”

Kaste averaged 75.8 in 23 rounds last season. He posted three top 10 finishes, and led the Gusties in their dual with Saint John’s last fall, finishing tied for first after carding a 73-69-142 (-2). Gutuza played 24 rounds of golf, averaging 74.3 shots at the 11 events he attended. Gutuza posted five top 10 showings and three top-five, and finished sixth at the MIAC Championships to earn a place on the All-Championship team. 

In addition to the experience of his returners, Moe is looking forward to the contributions of his newcomers, as he expects Jimmy Abdo (Edina) and Aradheea Gawade (Mumbai, India) to make an impact in the Gusties’ lineup this season. 

“Jimmy had a great spring and summer and looks ready to go this fall,” Moe said. “He competed for a very successful high school team and expects success, which is a great intangible you can’t teach. Aradheea has a very methodical approach to the game, and I’m excited to see how he produces. He’s a long way from home in India, but has already been a great fit with the team.”

For the women, Moe continues to build a very young lineup with no seniors on the roster. The Gusties will certainly miss team captain and All-Conference starter Annika Reierson, who graduated last spring after leading the program for four years.

“Anytime you lose a player like Annika it creates a void on your team,” Moe said of his lone senior last season. “She was a strong player and a great leader. But it also creates opportunities for others to step into the limelight and showcase their leadership, work ethic, and skills. Our captains Emily [Kolb] and Lauren [Hubbart] will be great leaders of this group and will show the team what needs to be done to be successful.”

The Gustie women also return sophomore duo Riley Zebroski (Watertown, S.D.) and Maren Masters (Shakopee), who impressed in their first seasons as Gusties. Zebroski played 21 rounds of golf with an 82.7 average, posting a pair of top 10 finishes, including a second place finish at the prestigious UW-Eau Claire Georgianni Blugold Invite, helping the Gusties win the tournament. Masters averaged 84.0 in 19 rounds last season, and earned a pair of top five finishes at UW-Eau Claire and the Gustie Spring Invite.

“We return four of our top five from last spring in Riley, Lauren, Maren, and Emily. We have a lot of tournament experience back in the lineup, and Riley and Maren are ready for breakthrough years with a season under their belt.”

First-year Kenna Henriksen (Olivia) will also make an appearance in the Gustie lineup in her opening weekend, as Moe anticipates her to adjust well to the college game following a successful high school career. 

Both schedules feature top national tournaments and competition, culminating with the MIAC Championships in September for the women and October for the men. 

“We’re very excited for the women to defend their title at Eau Claire,” said Moe. “They also will hit the road and travel to Memphis for the Rhodes College Invitational, which will feature a very competitive field of mostly southern schools. The men will travel out to Williams once more, where they finished third last year, and we’re hoping to improve and bring home the title.”     

The men begin competition at 1:30 p.m. at Majestic Oaks in Ham Lake on Saturday, while the women will tee off at Blackberry Ridge in Sartell at noon.

RECORD WATCH

Here’s a preview of a couple records and notable weekends to follow during the Gustavus golf fall campaign: 

RETURNING CHAMPS

The Gustie women won the UW-Eau Claire Georgianni Blugold Invite last season, carding a 326-325-651. Riley Zebroski carded a round one 74 en route to her second place finish, earning her a spot in the Gustavus record books for best individual 18-hole scores. The Gusties will return to defend their title at Wild Ridge and Eau Claire Country Club on Sept. 7.

ELITE EIGHT

Chris Gutuza has earned MIAC All-Conference honors in each of his first two seasons as a Gustie. If he’s able to achieve this once more, he’ll be the eighth player from Gustavus to be a three-time All-Conference honoree. 

REINARDY RETURNS

Last season, Jack Reinardy posted the first tournament win of his career at the Williams Fall Invitational. Reinardy finished first overall in a field of 113 golfers, helping the Gusties move up two spots from their round one finish for third place overall. Reinardy finished the weekend carding a one-under par 68-73-141, tallying nine birdies through two rounds. The Gusties will return to Taconic Country Club in Williamstown, Mass. on Sept. 21, where the senior will look to defend his title.