Friday, October 26, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. - All six GNAC men's golf teams were in action over the past two weeks, taking to St. George, Utah and Seaside, Calif. for the Dixie State Regional Preview and Otter Invitational.

Simon Fraser highlighted the bunch, finishing higher than all other GNAC teams with a third-place showing in a tournament that was shortened due to frost. The Clan, totaling a two-round score of 566, finished just four strokes behind host and second-place Dixie State.

Freshman Isaac Lee led the way for the Clan, taking medalist honors with a 10-under-par finish across two days of play at The Ledges Golf Club. Lee then followed that up by finishing tied for sixth at the Otter Invitational earlier this week.

Western Washington placed seventh at the Dixie State Regional Preview, following up a first-place finish in its last event with a 1-over-par score in St. George.

Senior Cody Roth has led his team through the first four tournaments of the year with a scoring average of 71.6.

LAST WEEK'S TOURNAMENTS
Dixie State Regional Preview (Oct. 15-16 at The Ledges Golf Club, St. George, Utah): Team - 1, Chico State, 551 (273-278). 3, Simon Fraser, 566 (285-281). 7, Western Washington, 577 (293-284). 10, Concordia, 581 (303-278). 24, Saint Martin's, 601 (299-302). 25, Northwest Nazarene, 603 (302-301). Individuals - 1, Isaac Lee, Simon Fraser, 134 (67-67). T5, Riley Killip, Concordia, 138 (69-69). T9, Nick Sparling, Western Washington, 140 (71-69). T15, Sy Lovan, Simon Fraser, 142 (72-70).

Otter Invitational (Oct. 22-23 at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Club, Seaside, Calif.): Team - 1, Lynn, 861 (282-291-288). 10, Simon Fraser, 895 (300-302-293). Individuals - T6, Isaac Lee, Simon Fraser, 216 (74-71-71).

AROUND THE GNAC
CONCORDIA
• Playing in their fifth and final tournament of the fall season, the Cavaliers finished in 10th place at the Dixie State Regional Preview.

• Sophomore Riley Killip was the team's top placer, using back-to-back low rounds (69-69) to pave the way to a 6-under-par finish. His two-round total of 138 put him in a tie for fifth individually.

• Junior Jaxson Daskalos finished inside the top-50 at The Ledges with a score of 2-over-par 146. The Albany, Oregon native saw one of the biggest improvements from day one to two of anyone in the field, following up an opening round 77 with a 69 in his final 18 holes.

• Daskalos is the team leader in scoring average with a total of 71.6 over the course of 14 rounds. Killip is following closely behind at the end of the fall season at a 72.2 clip.

• Concordia put up a trio of top-five finishes in three of its first four outings this season, highlighted by a title at the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational to open the season.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings closed its fall season competing in the annual Mike Grob Cup against Rocky Mountain.

• The team of Payton Stott and Garrett Woodin paced the Yellowjackets, sweeping both the alternate shot and best ball portions of the event. The 4-and-3 best ball victory on Friday helped MSUB pull even with the Battlin' Bears heading into Saturday's singles matches.

• It's sophomore Caleb Trost who leads the roster in scoring average at 74.5, while Woodin follows closely behind at 74.7. 

• Montana State Billings will return to action after breaking for the winter at the Bay Area Invitational, running Feb. 25-26 at historic TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. 

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene came in 25th place at last week's Dixie State Regional Preview, recording a total score of 603.

• Sophomore Andrew Cortez finished tied for 41st to lead NNU. The team's No. 4 player entering the tournament, Cortez rode consistent rounds of 72 and 74 to a 2-over-par 146 finish.

• Boise-native Henry Bernard was the other Nighthawk to place inside the top-60. Bernard carded a 3-over-par 147.

• The tournament was the team's final one of the fall season. The campaign was highlighted by a fourth-place finish at the Concordia Invitational earlier in October.

SAINT MARTIN'S
• Playing in their third tournament of the fall season, the Saints finished with a 24th-place showing at the Dixie State Regional Preview.

• Senior Trevor Frisby was the team's top placer in St. George, using a season-low round of 70 in the first round to lead the way to an even-par finish. His two-round total of 144 put him in a tie for 27th individually.

• Freshman Max Turnquist finished inside the top-80 at The Ledges with a score of 6-over-par 150. The Yakima, Washington native turned in back-to-back rounds of 75.

• Frisby and Turnquist are the team leaders in scoring average with a total of 74.0 over the course of eight rounds. Sophomore Tyler Fitchett is following closely behind as the fall season winds down at a 75.5 clip.

• Saint Martin's will return to action for its final tournament of the fall at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate, running Oct. 29-31 at Waikoloa Golf Course in Waikoloa, Hawaii.

SIMON FRASER
• Simon Fraser continued its second month of the season with a third-place finish at the Dixie State Regional Preview and a 10th-place showing at the Otter Invitational.

• Freshman Isaac Lee led the way for SFU in both events, carding a 10-under-par 134 in St. George before tying for sixth in Seaside. Lee leads the team in scoring (71.18), while B.C.-native Sy Lovan is in second at 73.09.

• The showing in St. George marked Simon Fraser's fourth top-five finish in its first four tournaments.

• In the latest edition of the Golfstat Division II Team Rankings, SFU comes in at No. 3 nationally. In the GCAA Coaches Poll, it is currently ranked 25th.

• The trip to Seaside marked the team's final event of the fall season.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• The Vikings recorded a two-day total of 577 to finish in seventh against a stacked field at the Dixie State Regional Preview. The result came on the heels of three straight tournament titles in as many events to open the 2018-19 campaign.

• Senior Nick Sparling led the way for Western Washington, finishing in a tie for ninth individually with a total score of 140. The Ohio State transfer fired an opening round 71 before finishing with a 3-under-par score of 69.

• Freshman Jordan Lee was the other Viking to place inside the top-40. Lee finished in a tie for 32nd with a 1-over-par 145. 

• Lee, along with senior Cody Roth, still have sub-72 scoring averages on the season at 71.6 and 71.9, respectively.

• In the latest edition of the Golfstat Division II Team Rankings, WWU comes in ranked at No. 2 nationally. In the GCAA Coaches Poll, it is currently ranked eighth. 

• Up next for Western Washington is a trip south to Waikoloa, where it will join Saint Martin's at the Dennis Rose Intercollegiate to put a cap on its fall campaign. 

GNAC Men’s Golfer of the Week (Oct. 22, 2018)
Isaac Lee (Simon Fraser, Fr., Seoul, South Korea – Gleneagle): Lee won the frost-shortened Dixie State Fall Regional Preview, turning in a score of 10-under-par 134. He posted back-to-back rounds of 5-under-par 67 to finish two strokes ahead of Chico State’s Kelley Sullivan. Lee led Simon Fraser to a third-place team finish, leading all GNAC teams with a 10-under-par 566.

Also Nominated: Riley Killip (Concordia), Nick Sparling (Western Washington).