The NIU women’s golf team’s first event of the spring season will be the sixth annual Springlake Classic on Friday and Saturday in Sebring, Fla.

“The Springlake Classic has become a great event for us to open the spring season with,” NIU coach Pam Tyska said. “We have schools from all over the country at this first event.”

After the tournament, NIU hits the road to another destination in Florida – the Peggy Kirk Bell Invitational in Orlando on Monday and Tuesday

The Huskies finish up their road trip in Tampa competing in the 18th annual NIU Snowbird Classic.

“We just want to get out there and get comfortable,” Tyska said. “For some of our players, this is the first green grass they will hit off of since our last event of the fall season – the Huskie Classic [on Oct. 5 and 6].”

In the fall season, the Huskies finished in the top five twice.

NIU’s best outing was at the Western Illinois Invitational, where the team took second out of nine teams.

It also finished fourth out of 11 teams at the 19th annual Huskie Classic that was held in Huntley at the Whisper Creek Golf Club.

Sophomore Jackie Heslop leads the team with an 80.8 average per round. Senior Irish Whalen is second with an 81.6 average.

Sophomore Jackie Bailey had an average of 82.2 in the fall season, which puts her third on the team.

The Huskies return home to compete in the Saluki Invitational on March 28 and 29. Two weeks later, the Huskies will travel to Urbana to take part in the Illinois Spring Classic.

NIU finishes up its season at the MAC championship on April 23 and 25 in Indian Springs, Ohio.