Women's Golf Tees Off Inaugural Season This Weekend

Skyhawks set to compete at Penmen Labor Day Classic Sunday/Monday

Welcome/Teeing Off Ceremony Photo Gallery


Stonehill's first women's golf team ceremoniously teed off its inaugural season at Donahue Hall on Thursday.

EASTON, Mass. (September 1, 2017) – Less than ten months after being announced as Stonehill College's 21st varsity sport, the women's golf program will tee off its inaugural season when it competes at the Penmen Labor Day Classic, hosted by Southern New Hampshire University, at Hanover Country Club in Hanover, New Hampshire on Sunday and Monday.

Head coach Nick Crovetti, who is no stranger to starting programs from scratch after building the women's team at Merrimack College before joining Stonehill, has assembled a four-event fall schedule for the Skyhawks. Stonehill's inaugural team will be represented by sophomore Jennifer Kornacki (Simsbury, Connecticut/Simsbury) and freshmen Francesca Feola (Bellingham, Massachusetts/Bellingham) and Katelyn Jylkka (Portland, Connecticut/East Catholic), and the group was formally welcomed to campus with a ceremonial "teeing off" in front of Donahue Hall on Thursday afternoon. Stonehill Director of Athletics Dean O'Keefe '94 introduced the team members to a collection of administrators and staff members, before being blessed by Fr. Matt Fase, CSC, the Athletic Chaplain, and then taking part in a ceremonial tee off to the season from the front lawn at Donahue.

Stonehill's four tournaments this fall are all hosted by fellow Northeast-10 Conference members, with the NE10 Championship following this weekend's opening tournament on September 24 and 25, hosted by Merrimack, at Haverhill Country Club. Following the NE10 Championship, the Skyhawks will compete at the Penmen Columbus Day Invitational, hosted by SNHU, at Derryfield Country Club in New Hampshire on October 7 and 8, before rounding out the fall season at the Franklin Pierce Fall Invitational at Keene Country Club, October 15-16.

Jylkka, who holds the distinction of being the program's first official commitment by signing the program's inaugural National Letter of Intent back in April, will lead the way for Stonehill in its first season. She was a Hartford Courant All-Scholastic, All-State and All-Central Connecticut-North honoree at East Catholic High School, where she has been named team MVP three times, helping lead the Eagles to a Connecticut State Championship her junior year.

Feola and Kornacki join Jylkka as walk-ons to the program for its first season. Feola lettered in golf all four years at Bellingham High School, while Kornacki joins the team as a sophomore after competing on the golf team at Simsbury High School before matriculating to Stonehill a year ago.

For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.