Thursday, April 10, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – With less than two weeks until the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Golf Championships, all five men’s teams are set to participate in the Cal State Stanislaus Invitational beginning Monday in Turlock, Calif.

The 19-team field for the 41st annual event features six teams appearing in the latest Golfstat rankings, including three in the top-10. Simon Fraser is the lone GNAC team appearing in the rankings, checking in at No. 21.

Following the two-day Cal State Stanislaus Invitational, which kicks off on Monday, the next stop for GNAC golfers will be the conference championships on April 21-22 at the Coeur d’Alene Resort. 

Leading the team race with an average score of 297.2 is Montana State Billings, which has four golfers in the top-10 in the conference individually. Brad Harrelson currently ranks second with an average round of 73.9, and teammate Gage Huft is close behind in third with an average round of 74.1.

Austin Westphal is in fifth in the GNAC at 74.6, and senior Marcus Drange is ninth with an average score of 74.9.

Tied for second place in the conference are Western Washington and Simon Fraser, which are each averaging a score of 298.6 per round.

SFU senior Michael Belle is leading the GNAC this season with an average round of 73.6 and teammates Bret Thompson and Kevin Vigna are also in the top-10 in the GNAC, as both are averaging a 74.8 (7th).

For the Vikings, junior Mark Strickland has been the top scorer throughout the 2013-14 season, averaging a GNAC sixth-best mark of 74.7. Fellow junior Kyle Schrader rounds out the conference’s top-10 with an average round of 75.1.

Northwest Nazarene is No. 4 in the GNAC with a team score of 301.3, and senior Nick Hardy is pacing the Crusaders with a GNAC fourth-best single-round average of 74.4.

Checking in at No. 5 in the GNAC is Saint Martin’s, which is averaging a score of 302.7 per round as a team. Leading the Saints are Patrick Whealdon and Ryan Pickthorn, who are each averaging a single-round score of 75.4 this season.

April Schedule: 14-15 – MSUB, NNU, SMU, SFU, and WWU at Hanny Stanislaus Invitational; Turlock Golf and Country Club, Turlock, CA. 21-22 – MSUB, NNU, SMU, SFU, and WWU at GNAC Championships; Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, ID.

RECENT ACTION

Western New Mexico Invitational (April 7-8)

Returning to action and leading Western Washington to a tie for seventh place at the Western New Mexico Mustang Invitational was senior Craig Crawford, who tied a GNAC season-low single round score of 66.

Overall, Crawford tied for eighth at the event, notching a four-under par 212 (72-66-740).

Also representing the GNAC at the Par 72, 7,015-yard Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz., were Saint Martin’s and Montana State Billings.

The Saints finished tied for 17th at 891 (301-293-297) while MSUB checked in at No. 19 with a three-round score of 898 (296-306-296).

MSUB vs. Rocky Mountain Dual Match (April 4)

Keeping in shape with a single-round dual match against Rocky Mountain College, MSUB shot a two-under par 282 at the Par 71, 6,670-yard Peter Yegen Golf Course in Billings last week. 

Junior Jake Hedge led the way for the Yellowjackets, logging a four-under par 67.

Northwest Nazarene Invitational (March 31 – April 1)

Ian Briske of Northwest Nazarene earned Red Lion Golfer of the Week honors after finishing in second place at the NNU Invitational, as the redshirt freshman shot a three-under par 213 (73-68-72) at Ridgecrest Golf Club in Nampa.

The efforts of Briske and teammate Michael Delie, who finished third with a score of 220 (71-74-75), helped NNU capture its first multi-team tournament title since March of 2008.

Finishing tied with North Idaho Community College with a three-round score of 890, NNU captured the title by virtue of a final round tiebreaker. NNU was victorious by the slimmest of margins, as its third-round score of 302 was one stroke better than NICC’s mark of 303.

Cal Baptist Invitational (March 24-25)

After tying for second place at the Cal Baptist Invitational on March 24-25, Simon Fraser was named GNAC Team of the Week. The team shot a tournament-low 282 in Round 1 to jump to an early lead, and finished with a three-round total of 875 (282-292-301).

Individually, Belle finished in 10th place for SFU, shooting a three-round par score of 216 (71-70-75) to push the Clan towards the top of the 18-team field. 

Thompson tied a tournament-low at the Cal Baptist Invite with a first-round score of 67, and finished the tournament with a six-over 222 (67-77-78). Clan junior John Mlikotic finished tied for 14th place with a two-over par 218 (70-73-75) at the Par 72, 6,588-yard Menifee Lakes Country Club in Menifee Lakes, Calif.

Three other GNAC teams also participated in the Cal Baptist Invite, with Western Washington finishing five strokes behind SFU at 880 (285-293-302) and Saint Martin’s just one behind the Vikings at 881 (293-292-296). Northwest Nazarene finished in 11th place with a score of 897 (300-295-302).

Austin Spicer of SMU was the top finishing GNAC individual at the event, posting a three-under par score of 213 (67-71-75). Spicer earned a fourth place finish, and was tabbed Red Lion Golfer of the Week for his effort.

Chris Hatch and Kyle Schrader each finished in the top-10 for the Vikings, as the former tied for seventh with a one-under par 215 (71-69-75). Schrader tied for 10th place with a par score of 216 (70-74-72).

NNU was led by Hardy and Connor Magnuson, who each shot a six-over 222.

RESULTS

Western New Mexico Mustang Invitational (April 7-8, Palm Valley Golf Club, Goodyear, AZ): Team – 1. Western New Mexico 853 (282-290-281); 7-T. Western Washington 876 (294-284-298); 17-T. Saint Martin’s 891 (301-293-297); 19. Montana State Billings 898 (296-306-296). Individual (Top 30) – 1. Colin Prater, Colorado Mesa 208 (69-71-68); 8-T. Craig Crawford, WWU 212 (72-66-74); 19-T. Mark Strickland, WWU 217 (72-72-73).

MSUB vs. Rocky Mountain Dual Match (April 4, Peter Yegen Golf Course, Billings, MT): Team – 1. Montana State Billings 282 Individual – 1. Jake Hedge, MSUB 67; 2-T. Marcus Drange, MSUB 70; 5-T. Tanner Berg, MSUB 71; 5-T. Gage Huft, MSUB 71; 9-T. Brad Harrelson, MSUB 74; 9-T. Austin Westphal, MSUB 74; 11-T. Houston Bradbury, MSUB 75; 11-T. Jake Letman, MSUB 75. 

Northwest Nazarene Invitational (March 31 – April 1, Ridgecrest Golf Club, Nampa, ID): Team – 1. Northwest Nazarene 890 (295-292-303) Individual (Top 30) – 1. Angus Montgomery, North Idaho CC 211 (70-67-74); 2. Ian Briske, NNU 213 (73-68-72); 3. Michael Delie, NNU 220 (71-74-75); 10-T. Nick Hardy, NNU 229 (77-75-77); 18-T. Thomas Hanacek, NNU 231 (81-72-78); 18-T. Justin McAfee, NNU 231 (72-75-84); 21. Connor Magnuson, NNU 232 (76-81-75); 23. Brock Sargent, NNU 237 (80-81-76).

Cal Baptist Invitational (March 24-25, Menifee Lakes Country Club, Menifee Lakes, CA): Team – 1. Western New Mexico 872 (285-288-299); 2-T. Simon Fraser 875 (282-292-301); 4. Western Washington 880 (285-293-302); 5-T. Saint Martin’s 881 (293-292-296); 11. Northwest Nazarene 897 (300-295-302) Individual (Top 30) – 1. David Metz, Western New Mexico 207 (68-71-68); 4. Austin Spicer, SMU 213 (67-71-75); 7-T. Chris Hatch, WWU 215 (71-69-75); 10-T. Michael Belle, SFU 216 (71-70-75); 10-T. Kyle Schrader, WWU 216 (70-74-72); 14-T. John Mlikotic, SFU 218 (70-73-75); 18-T. Patrick Whealdon, SMU 219 (73-72-74); 24-T. Nick Hardy, NNU 222 (77-70-75); 24-T. Connor Magnuson, NNU 222 (76-73-73); 24-T. Bret Thompson, SFU 222 (67-77-78); 29-T. Mark Strickland, WWU 223 (71-77-75); 29-T. Kevin Vigna, SFU 223 (78-72-73). 

MSUB Yellowjacket Spring Invitational (March 20, 2014, Pryor Creek Golf Course, Huntley, MT): Team – 1. Montana State Billings 299. Individual (Top 30) – 1. Gage Huft, MSUB 73; 2-T. Brad Harrleson, MSUB 74; 5-T. Jake Hedge, MSUB 76; 5-T. Austin Westphal, MSUB 76; 10. Marcus Drange, MSUB 78; 12-T. – Tanner Berg, MSUB 80; T-12. Houston Bradbury, MSUB 80; 18-T. Jake Letman, MSUB 82.