ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Stetson women's golf team opened the Navy Fall Invite in third place Friday, carding a 21-over-par 309 at the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club.
The Hatters placed four golfers inside the top 20 through the opening 18 holes and enter Saturday's final round just five strokes behind second-place Howard. Host Navy holds the overnight lead at 8-over, followed by Howard at 16-over and Stetson at 21-over. Towson sits fourth at 31-over, giving the Hatters a 10-shot cushion inside the top three.
Junior Isaki Sakashita paced Stetson with a 3-over 75, putting her in a tie for fifth individually. Sakashita made the turn at 1-over after offsetting bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5 with a birdie on the par-4 sixth. She added another birdie immediately after the turn on No. 10 and played the final four holes at even par to close with a back-nine 38.
Bridget Butler sits two spots behind Sakashita in a tie for seventh following a 4-over 76. Butler put together Stetson's best front nine of the day, making birdies on Nos. 2 and 6 to reach the turn at 1-under with a 35. She remained near the top of the leaderboard before giving strokes back over the closing nine, finishing with a 41 on the back.
Juniors Anna Huettl and sophomore Clara Willem each posted rounds of 7-over 79 to finish the day tied for 17th.
Huettl bounced back from a difficult opening stretch with four birdies on the afternoon. She made birdie on the par-3 seventh and par-5 ninth before adding two more on the back nine at Nos. 11 and 14. After turning in 42, Huettl played the back side in 1-over 37.
Willem provided Stetson's fourth counting score with matching consistency across the two nines. She went out in 4-over 40 before improving to a 3-over 39 on the back, highlighted by a birdie at the par-5 13th.
Freshman Maya Burmann rounded out the Hatter lineup with a 12-over 84 and sits tied for 37th. Burmann closed her opening round on a positive note with a birdie at the par-3 17th.
Stetson's counting scores of 75, 76, 79 and 79 combined for the team's 309.
The Hatters will return to the U.S. Naval Academy Golf Club Saturday for the second and final round of the Navy Fall Invite, looking to close the five-shot gap on Howard and make a run at host Navy atop the leaderboard.
Team Standings After Round One
- Navy — +8
- Howard — +16
- Stetson — +21
- Towson — +31
- Manhattan — +33
- Long Island — +36
T7. Hofstra — +42
T7. Monmouth — +42
- Mount St. Mary's — +54
- Delaware State — +96
About Stetson Athletics
At Stetson University, student-athletes don't just compete—they thrive. Located in historic DeLand, Florida, between Orlando and Daytona Beach, Stetson offers the perfect blend of competitive athletics, academic excellence, and an unbeatable Central Florida lifestyle. As the oldest private university in the region, Stetson supports approximately 500 student-athletes across 19 NCAA Division I sports. Nicknamed the "Hatters" after the institution's namesake John B. Stetson, a hat manufacturer who originated the modern-day cowboy hat, most Stetson athletic teams compete in the Atlantic Sun Conference, where they proudly hold the longest active membership since 1985. With top-tier facilities, personalized support, and a welcoming campus community, Stetson is where students can grow, compete, and succeed. Learn more at GoHatters.com or follow social media accounts @StetsonHatters.
