Friday, October 11, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. – Three GNAC men’s golf teams will each wrap up their fall 2013 schedules in the next three weeks, while the other two have already packed away the clubs until the spring.

Next week, Northwest Nazarene tees off one final time in 2013 at the Sonoma State Invitational, running Oct. 14-15 in Santa Rosa, Calif.

Western Washington finishes off its fall slate the following Monday (Oct. 21) at the Cal State Monterey Bay Invite in Seaside, Calif.

Saint Martin’s will be the final GNAC men’s golf team on the course this fall, making a trip to Waikoloa, Hi., for the three-day Dennis Rose Invitational running Oct. 27-29.

Simon Fraser wrapped up its season this week at the Chico State InterWest Wildcat Classic, while MSU Billings completed round two of its match play with Rocky Mountain College to close out 2013.

HIGHLIGHTS

With a pair of major tournaments over the past 10 days, GNAC schools had a good opportunity to size one another up and compete against conference golfers.

In the Golfweek Invitational last week, Simon Fraser was the top-finishing GNAC school, notching a three-round total of 941 to tie Colorado Springs for eighth place. Western Washington and Saint Martin’s also participated, each finishing in the bottom half of the 15-team field.

SFU’s Mike Belle (Sr., Burnaby, BC - St. Thomas More) was the top GNAC individual at the event, finishing with a total of 231 (78-73-80) and a tie for 14th place on the leader board against nationally ranked competition. His effort earned the senior GNAC Male Golfer of the Week honors for the period ending Oct. 6.

Mark Strickland (Jr., Mukilteo, WA - Kamiak) was WWU’s top finisher with a score of 235 (75-79-81) for 31st place, while SMU’s Ryan Pickthorn (So., Damascus, OR - Clackamas) carded a 239 (81-79-79) to lead the Saints.

The weather-shortened Chico State InterWest Wildcat Classic proved to be a much more favorable course for GNAC schools, as SFU and WWU each finished in the top-five. The final round of the tournament was cancelled, due to sustained winds of more than 25 miles per hour. 

The Clan’s Bret Thompson (So., Winnipeg, MB - St. Paul's) logged a two-under par 142 (73-69) to tie for third place, as he was just five strokes off the pace of the tournament champion. Thompson was named GNAC Golfer of the Week for the period ending Oct. 13. Nick Hardy (Sr., Edmonds, WA - Kings) of NNU also finished in the top-10 with a total of 144 (75-69), while WWU’s Kyle Schrader (Jr., Olympia, WA - Biola) (70-77) and Strickland (72-75) tied for 12th with totals of 147.

Despite a 13th-place finish at the Chico State Invite, MSU Billings came in as the runner-up at the Rocky Mountain Invitational, logging a three-round score of 868. Brad Harrelson (Sr., Snoqualmie, WA - Mount Si) was the Yellowjackets’ top golfer, notching a score of 212 (72-67-73) and finishing four strokes behind the tournament champion.

NOTABLE

A 50-yard eagle shot made by Hardy on Monday helped the senior to a three-under 69 in what ended up being his final round of the InterWest Classic…CSU Stanislaus (10) and Chico State (12) gave GNAC schools a look at nationally-ranked competition at the InterWest Classic…Simon Fraser was the top-finishing GNAC school in all three tournaments it participated in this fall…the GNAC individual low-round score at the Golfweek Invitational was 73, recorded by WWU’s Schrader and David Fonua (Fr., Seatlle, WA - O'Dea), as well as SFU’s Belle and TJ McColl (Sr., Surrey, BC - Fleetwood Park)…only two golfers – the top two individual finishers - broke the 70 mark at the Golfweek Invite, the low being 67.