The word is out—it’s being heard here on the NIU campus, and it’s rapidly spreading throughout the entire Midwest.

With record breaking scores this weekend in the Michigan State University Invitational, the Huskie women’s golf team captured first place honors and confirmed their status as the team to beat.

“Everybody’s talking about us and the low team scores we’re turning in,” coach Pam Tyska said. “The girls are making real mature decisions on the course and that is giving us a great advantage.”

NIU shot a 299 in the second round of 18 holes on Saturday to break the previous school record. The mark was short-lived, however, as the Huskies tallied for a 297 in Sunday’s final round.

“It was rainy, cold and windy out there,” Tyska said. “And for the girls to persevere through those elements and break the record again on Sunday is phenomenal. We’re dealing with adversity and playing tremendously.”

The Huskies finished the weekend with a total of 902 for the 54 holes. The University of Wisconsin placed second with a 917, followed by Ohio State University’s 929. Host MSU finished in a disappointing eighth place.

Nicole Jeray and teammate Kim Hodge were two among three tied for first place honors with a score of 223. Jeray captured medalist honors after a sudden death play-off between the three individuals. Hodge’s 223 was a tourney best for her in a 54 hole tournament.

Freshman Shelley Wendels shot a 231 while teammates Jen Hall and Samantha Thompson turned in scores of 232 and 234, respectively. All three scores were good enough to earn them top-20 honors. Hall shot a 73 on Sunday for a career low.

“It was really a total team effort,” Tyska said. “When you can tap into your sixth player and get a 73, you know things are right. We just have to keep playing the way we’ve been playing and we will do alright.”