The 2015-16 season brought new levels of achievement and excitement to the University of Redlands women's golf team, as the Bulldogs finished sixth in their second-ever NCAA appearance after capturing back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championships and ranking as high as No. 1 in the nation. Sophomore Caroline Ordian (Palm Desert, CA) led the charge with her individual national title and various honors, while senior Amberlynn Dorsey (Highland, CA) capped off an impressive career with her inaugural All-America nod.
The memorable year began in late September with the Western New Mexico Invitational that was highlighted by the squad's record-setting performance. Ordian, Dorsey, and juniors Raquel Gordon (Culver City, CA) and Kari Gordon (Culver City, CA) put together an opening round of 287, which reset the program's standard for 18 holes. Individually, Ordian headlined the Bulldogs' two-day performance by taking home the individual gold medal with a score of 136 (64-72), which bettered her own school records for 36 holes and a single round.
Redlands competed in the Culturame Classic in Aloha, Oregon, to conclude the fall portion of the season. Dorsey paced the team with her second-place showing by carding consistent rounds of 75. The Bulldogs also finished second in the team standings with a 36-hole total of 633.
Upon conclusion of the fall schedule, the Bulldogs climbed up the GolfStat rankings to No. 1 in the nation, leading all teams in Division III by a full stroke with an adjusted scoring average of 76.22.
With Ordian leading the way, the Bulldogs returned to action in the spring with a sixth-place showing at the PLNU Reach 2016 Tournament in San Diego. She took home the medalist honor with a 36-hole total of 144 to lead the Bulldogs to a team tally of 647 at the high-quality event. Ordian paced the field with consecutive rounds of 72, which landed her atop the leaderboard by five strokes. She also led all golfers with 10 birdies to go along with 18 pars.
Two weeks later, the Maroon and Gray competed in the first SCIAC tournament of the season, earning a two-round score of 630 to place second. Individually, Redlands gained a trio of top-six finishers, with Ordian (78-73) taking second, K. Gordon (78-80) coming in fourth, and Dorsey (82-76) finishing sixth.
After unleashing an eagle to highlight the team's seventh-place effort at the Las Vegas Classic, Dorsey's success continued at the George Fox Westbrook Invitational, where she earned co-medalist honors with a two-day total of 142 (71-71). Ordian joined her on the podium with a bronze-medal showing after firing off a day-one best of 69.
Following a difficult outing at the CSUMB Otter Invitational as the only Division III school amongst a field of ranked Division II opponents, Redlands quickly bounced back with a second-place showing at the SCIAC Tournament No. 2 less than two weeks later. Ordian ranked first among the field in par fours (4.25) and par fives (5.1) en route to winning the tournament with a two-round score of 154 (76-78). While tallying 20 pars and three birdies over the 36 holes, she earned medalist honors with an eight-stroke lead over the second-place competitor.
Despite not winning either of the SCIAC tournaments, the Maroon and Gray moved into first place with a four-stroke lead in the aggregate scoring, which determines the SCIAC Champion. The team's overall consistency provided the path for continued success in the talented conference.
Three weeks later, the Bulldogs secured their second-consecutive conference title with an impressive effort. After leading throughout the three-day SCIAC Championships at Oak Valley Golf Course in Beaumont, the women's golf team gained a 20-stroke advantage in the seven-round aggregate scoring to win back-to-back conference championships. The Maroon and Gray put together a 54-hole total of 929 to remain in front of the competition on the final day. In addition, Ordian captured the individual championship after improving from third to first over the three days with rounds of 77-75-72 for a total of 224. After leading the tournament for the first two days, Dorsey finished second overall with her score of 226 (73-77-76). Her day-one round set the tone for her performance before notching the field's only eagle during the final 18 holes.
Furthermore, R. Gordon finished among the top 10 with her tied-for-sixth-place showing that included six birdies and 26 pars en route to a three-day total of 237 (77-80-80). K. Gordon elevated her individual position in the standings by eight spots to take 14th place with a score of 242 (82-84-76). Finally, junior Jenna Durette (Oceanside, CA) rounded out the Bulldogs' scorers with her 54-hole tally of 254 (83-86-85) that included 20 pars and three birdies.
With the SCIAC still lacking an automatic qualifier from the NCAA, the Bulldogs played the waiting game to determine if their season would continue at nationals. Lucky for the Maroon and Gray, the women's golf team received one of four at-large bids to the NCAA Championships in Houston, Texas. Amidst the drama of lead-changes and weather delays, the Bulldogs put together a solid three days of competition to finish sixth among the best in the country with a score of 938 (318-305-315). Slated to include four rounds, the tournament was cut short by torrential downpours on the final day. Ordian led the Bulldogs to the best finish in school history by capturing the individual title with her rounds of 73-70-75 for a total of 218 at the end of competition on day three.
Dorsey finished her four-year career at Redlands by carding a total score of 237 (84-76-77) to tie for 35th place at the NCAA Championship. A day-two round of 76 highlighted Dorsey's efforts during which she recorded four birdies and seven pars. R. Gordon also tied for 35th in the individual standings by earning a final three-day score of 237 (78-77-82), while K. Gordon capped off the Bulldogs' second NCAA Championship experience with a total score of 246 (83-82-81) to land her tied for 63rd. Durette tied for 71st by signing her scorecard with a 250 (85-82-83).
Headlining the Bulldogs' hardware on the outstanding season, Ordian was tabbed the 2016 PING Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) Division III Player of the Year in her second season at Redlands. She also collected back-to-back WGCA All-America First-Team nods, while Dorsey earned her inaugural All-America honor with a spot on the Second Team. Finally, the dynamic duo represented Bulldog women's golf on the WGCA All-West Region First Team.
In addition, Ordian's amazing sophomore showing included being named the women's golf nominee for the Class of 2016 Division III Honda Athlete of the Year. She also succeeded in the classroom en route to being named an Academic All-American and All-District honoree by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Finally, Dorsey, R. Gordon, K. Gordon, and Ordian were selected as WGCA All-America Scholars for the 2015-16 academic year, revealing their commitment to academic and athletic achievement.
Under the direction of Head Coach Jack Stewart, the Bulldog women's golf team clearly excelled among the SCIAC and the nation in a stellar and historical season. Although the loss of Dorsey due to graduation forces new talent to step up, the Maroon and Gray holds high hopes for further success in the program's relatively young but already impressive history.