08/30/2026
The North Miami Lady Warriors returned to Round Barn Golf Club Saturday for the Rochester Invitational, gaining valuable experience on the same course that will host the HNAC Championship.
North Miami made the trip with just four of its five varsity golfers, meaning the final team result wasn’t a true reflection of what this group is capable of. But with conference just a week away, the Warriors walked away with something more important — continued improvement, course knowledge and plenty of motivation.
Sophomore Bryanne Sturch led the Warriors with a 94, continuing to show that her game is capable of producing scores in the 80s. A penalty after finding the water and a couple of crucial missed putts added strokes quickly, but Sturch remained within striking distance of breaking 90 throughout the round. With another week to sharpen the details before returning to Round Barn, her goal for Saturday’s HNAC Championship is clear: put together a complete round and break into the 80s.
Junior Alex Blackford continued her strong stretch of golf, firing a 100 — a 10-stroke improvement from the 110 she posted at the same invitational last season. Blackford has continued to show steady growth throughout the year, and Saturday provided another example of just how far her game has come. With Blackford recently carding a 42 on the back 9 at round barn she’s also shown she has the ability to break 90 along with Sturch.
For Savannah Rentschler, Saturday marked her first opportunity to compete in the Rochester Invitational. After battling through a difficult stretch of holes, Rentschler found another gear and finished her round much stronger. More importantly, she now has 18 holes of tournament experience at Round Barn and a much better understanding of where she can save strokes when the Warriors return for conference.
Then there was Alivia Haynes.
Just a few short weeks removed from picking up a golf club for the first time, Haynes competed in her first-ever 18-hole invitational. Through every hole, every challenge and every learning experience, she never complained and never showed frustration.
Her coaches gave her a goal before the round: eliminate two double-par holes from her scorecard.
Haynes apparently decided that wasn’t ambitious enough.
She finished with five holes that were not double par — more than doubling the challenge put in front of her.
For a golfer who picked up a club only weeks ago and was playing her first 18-hole tournament, the score itself was secondary. Her composure, attitude and willingness to keep competing for all 18 holes told the bigger story.
The Warriors certainly missed Kinley Deardorf in Saturday’s lineup, but the four who made the trip took advantage of an important opportunity to learn the course they will see again very soon.
And perhaps the most encouraging takeaway came when Saturday’s scores were viewed through the lens of the upcoming HNAC Championship on September 12th. Looking at the scoring spread across the conference, Sturch’s 94 and Blackford’s 100 are the type of numbers that can put North Miami in position to contend for an HNAC title. The equation now becomes getting the while lineup to come together on the same day, and we’ve already seen them do it!!
That makes this week less about finding something the Warriors haven’t shown yet and more about putting together pieces that have already been there throughout the season.
Sturch has shown she can challenge the 80s. Blackford continues to lower her scores. Deardorf returns to strengthen the lineup, while Rentschler now has valuable experience on the conference course. And Haynes continues to improve almost every time she picks up a club.
If those pieces come together Saturday the 12th, North Miami has a legitimate opportunity to compete for an HNAC Championship.
For now, it’s back to the grind.
Conference week is around the corner!!!🏌🏻♀️⛳️🖤❤️
