Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Western Washington placed four golfers in the Top 5 and cruised to a 26-stroke victory at the fifth annual GNAC Men's Golf Championships which ended Tuesday at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course.

The Vikings, who have won all five GNAC titles since golf was added as an official conference sport in 2008, shot a 1-under par 283 for a 54-hole total of 4-over 856.

Saint Martin 's placed second at 882 and Northwest Nazarene was third at 887 in the five-team field.

WWU sophomore Craig Crawford shot even par 71 to take medalist honors at 1-under 212. He won by one stroke over teammate Dylan Goodwin,  who fired a 1-under 70 for an even par 213 total.

Crawford, who earned his first collegiate win, shot a tourney record-tying 6-under 65 in Monday's opening round and was tied for first-day medalist honors with the Vikings' Nick Varelia with a 36-hole total of 141.

Varelia, who took medalist honors in 2011, tied for third at 217 with Northwest Nazarene's Zach Grunig. Varelia had a 76 Tuesday, while Grunig shot a 73.

The Vikings' Jake Webb also had a Top 5 finish placing fifth with a 226 score.

GNAC (Apr. 23-24 at Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course): Team Scores - 1. Western Washington 856 (284-289-283); 2. Saint Martin's 882 (289-301-292); 3. Northwest Nazarene 887 (293-297-297); 4. MSU Billings 908 (294-306-308); 5. Simon Fraser 918 (301-300-317). Top 10 (Par 71, 6,803 Yards)- 1. Craig Crawford, WWU, 212 (65-76-71); 2. Dylan Goodwin, WWU, 213 (71-72-70); 3. Nick Varelia, WWU, 217 (73-68-76) and Zach Grunig, NNU, 217 (72-72-73); 5. Sandy Vaughan, WWU, 218 (75-73-70); 6. Nick Hardy, NNU, 219 (70-77-72); 7. Michael Jaeger, SMU, 220 (75-76-69); 8. Zach Dietz, SMU, 221 (74-73-74); 9. Michael Belle, SFU, 222 (69-74-79); 10. Matt Sturgill, NNU, 223 (74-73-76).