Wednesday, May 28, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. – Completing a 1-2-3 sweep at the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Women’s Golf Championships, Western Washington captured its fourth consecutive conference title this season.

WWU junior Anna Bourland took medalist honors at the conference championships, shooting a 156 (78-78) for the three-stroke victory. Close behind Bourland were teammates Brooke Branigan and Kristen Hansen, who finished in second and third to help the Vikings run away with a team score of 641 (319-322).

Hansen, who was selected as the GNAC Player of the Year, continued her season by representing the conference at the NCAA West Regional Championships in Mansfield, Texas.

The trio of Vikings each received first team all-conference honors, and all appeared in the top-10 in the GNAC in scoring average. Hansen topped the conference with a mark of 78.6, while Bourland checked in at No. 3 at 78.9. Branigan had the seventh-best scoring average in the GNAC at 81.0, and teammate and second team all-conference pick Audrey Orem was No. 9 at 81.5.

WWU head coach Bo Stephan was picked as the GNAC Coach of the Year for the third time in four seasons.

Tying Hansen for the lead in scoring average this season was Saint Martin’s sophomore Jennifer Liedes. The transfer from the University of Washington was named the GNAC Newcomer of the Year, after finishing tied for fifth at the GNAC Championships with a score of 163 (79-84).

Tying Liedes at the GNAC Championships was teammate Mandy Wittmier, who was a first team all-conference pick as a senior. Wittmier posted the fourth-best scoring average in the GNAC during her senior campaign at 80.2, and her career mark of 83.88 is ninth-best in GNAC history. 

As a team, Saint Martin’s finished third at the GNAC Championships, posting a score of 674 (332-341).

Led by a quartet of second team all-conference golfers, Montana State Billings finished second at the 2014 Championships with a team score of 665 (327-338).

Senior Capri Ingram was the Yellowjackets’ top golfer at the event, finishing in fourth place with a score of 162 (82-80). BreAnna Cameron also finished in the top-10 at the GNAC Championships, tying for seventh place with a score of 165 (83-82). 

On the season, Katie Fish posted the top scoring average for MSUB with a conference sixth-best mark of 80.8. Also in the top-10 were Ingram (81.3, 8th), and Melissa Saken (81.7, 10th). 

Simon Fraser took fourth place at the GNAC Championships with a score of 678 (341-337), and Erin Farner and Nicky Jordan each finished in the top-10 for the Clan.

Rounding out the field at the 2014 Championships was Northwest Nazarene, posting a score of 700 (347-353). First team all-GNAC selection Samantha Miller finished tied for ninth with a score of 166 (82-84), and was picked as the conference Freshman of the Year.

On the season, Miller’s scoring average of 80.6 was the fifth-best in the conference.

MSUB was the lone team to break the single-round 300 mark this season, posting a team score of 298 during the second round of the MSUB Fall Invitational in September of 2013.

Fish’s round of 73 at the tournament was the lowest of the season for the ‘Jackets.

Individually, Kristen Hansen tied a GNAC record with a single round score of 70 in the first round of the Western New Mexico Invitational in September of 2013. Hansen joined Kalli Stanhope of MSUB (2011-12) and Kim Vivan of Saint Martin’s (2011-12) as the only players in conference history to shoot a 70.

Reaching the 40-round minimum to be eligible for the career leader board, Bourland moved into fourth place all-time with a career scoring average of 80.75 over 48 rounds.

Checking in at No. 5-7 on the all-time leader board were Saken, Fish, and Cayley Fish of MSUB, whose career marks now stand at 82.56, 82.76 and 83.23, respectively.

Also entering the top-10 in career scoring average was SFU’s Jordan, who finished her career at 84.75 over 44 rounds.

In her first season in the conference, SMU’s Liedes posted the top-four single rounds of the season for the Saints. With rounds of 71 at the WWU Invitational and 72 at the Dennis Rose Invitational in October of 2013, Liedes was the only player this season to break the 73 barrier twice. 

Wittmier closed her career by becoming the GNAC all-time leader in events (32) and rounds (66) played.

For the Crusaders, Miller was a top-5 finisher four times and a top-10 finisher in seven events this season.