Wednesday, April 26, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – The only three-time selection on the 2016-17 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Golf All-Academic Team is also at top of the list in terms of grade point average.

Northwest Nazarene senior Ian Briske made the team for the third consecutive season, compiling a 3.96 grade point average as a business administration major. Briske finished tied for 21st at the GNAC Men’s Golf Championships.

Briske leads a total of 16 selections to this year’s Men’s Golf All-Academic Team, which recognizes players of sophomore standing or better, with a 3.20 cumulative grade point average or better and who are at least their second season at their current school.

Briske is also one of seven repeat selections to the team. Four of those repeat selections are from Saint Martin’s, which placed a conference-best six players on the squad. The two-time selections include a pair of 3.95 GPAs in senior Ryan Pickthorn, who is a student in SMU’s Master’s of Business Administration program, and senior Jared Rasmussen, who is majoring in mechanical engineering.

Other two-time selections to the team include Concordia senior Jarred Gomez, Montana State Billings senior Connor Miele, Saint Martin’s junior Andrew Raab and Saints’ senior Austin Spicer.

Of the 16 honored student-athletes, five have GPAs of 3.80 or better. Joining Briske, Pickthorn and Rasmussen in that group is Northwest Nazarene sophomore Luke Vaarstra, who has a 3.90 as a psychology major, and Saint Martin’s junior Chase Daskalos, who has a 3.82 as a business administration major.

A total of 10 of the 16 All-Academic Team members participated at the GNAC Men’s Golf Championships, including all five members of Saint Martin’s team. Spicer was the top individual finisher of the All-Academic Team honorees, placing third at 2-under-par 211.

2016-17 GNAC MEN'S GOLF ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM