Thursday, March 23, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Four GNAC teams competed in the Otter Invite after another pair was at the Interwest Chico State Invite for the latest action in GNAC women’s golf.

A THIRD LEUNG: Simon Fraser’s Emily Leung led all GNAC competitors at the Interwest Chico State Invite, carding a 9-over-par 153 to tie for third place out of 38 competitors. Simon Fraser took fifth place out of seven teams at the event with Jaya Rampuri recording the team’s second-best score at 11-over-par 155.

Northwest Nazarene finished in seventh place at the Interwest Chico State Invite. Samantha Miller led the Crusaders, finishing in a tie for 13th place at 14-over-par 158. Stephanie Miller finished fourth among GNAC competitors at 20-over-par 164 for 22nd place overall.

ANTONIO WINS THE BATTLE, WWU WINS THE WAR: Concordia’s Shantel Antonio edged Western Washington’s Jenn Paul by one stroke at the Otter Invite for the best finish by a GNAC athlete, but the Vikings won as a team with a six-stroke advantage.

Antonio took 17th place in the Otter Invite with a score of 12-over-par 156 in two rounds, which was one stroke better than Western Washington’s leader Paul. The Vikings, however, had all five golfers finish in the top 60 to finish in a tie for ninth place as a team at 72-over-par 648. Concordia was right behind in 11th place at 78-over-par 654 in the 18-team field.

STROKE LEADERS: Leung leads the GNAC in strokes per round at 76.9 after nine rounds this year. Miller follows in second with 77.5 strokes per round so far this season. Third and fourth place both belong to Concordia with McKenzi Stan averaging 77.8 strokes per round and Cammie Decker at 78.1 in 12 and 14 rounds, respectively.

WHAT'S NEXT: All of next week's action in the GNAC will be in the Mountain Time Zone, where Northwest Nazarene will host the NNU Invite. Montana State Billings, meanwhile, will host the Yellowjacket Spring Invite. Both events will begin on Monday.

2016-17 Individual Tournament Winners (3 teams or more)

• Stan McKenzi (CU): Saint Martin’s Invitational, Oct. 7-8 (4-over 77)
• Sammy Walter (MSUB): Western Washington Invitational, Oct. 10-11 (Even 146)

2016-17 Team Tournament Winner (3 teams or more)

• Concordia: Saint Martin’s Invite (1-under 571)
• Western Washington: Western Washington Invitational Oct. 17-18 (10-over 862)

2016-17 GNAC Golfers of the Week

Sept. 19-25: Audrey Orem (Western Washington, Sr., Bellingham, Wash. – Bellingham): Orem led Western Washington at the season-opening Western New Mexico Fall Intercollegiate, tying for 19th place at 7-over-par 151. She finished with a low round of even-par 72 on the second day of competition. Also Nominated: Bailee Dexter (Montana State Billings).

Oct. 3-9: Bailee Dexter (Montana State Billings, Jr., Townsend, Mont. – Butte) Dexter finished second at the Rocky Mountain College Invitational with a two-round score of 150. She missed first place by three strokes. Dexter went on to tie for 12th place in the rain-shortened Saint Martin’s Invitational. Also Nominated: Erin Farner (Simon Fraser), Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene), Chloe Read (Saint Martin’s), McKenzi Stan (Concordia).

Oct. 10-16: Sammy Walter (Montana State Billings, Jr., Billings, Mont. – Billings Senior) Walter tied for first at the Western Washington Invitational and tied the Montana State Billings record for a two-round score with a 146. Her first round score of 72 was a personal best. Walter tied with Kat Kennedy of British Columbia, with Kennedy earning medalist honors based on lowest single round score. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene), Stephanie Sewell (Western Washington), Celia Beyke (Saint Martin’s), Cammie Decker (Concordia).

Oct. 17-23: Cammie Decker (Concordia, Fr., Keizer, Ore. – McNary) Decker led Concordia with a fourth-place finish at the Concordia Invitational, carding a score of 150 to place fourth overall behind three Division I players. She led the Cavaliers to a second-place team finish, their third straight top-five finish of the fall. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene), Celia Beyke (Saint Martin’s), Stephanie Sewell (Western Washington).

Oct. 24-30: Stephanie Sewell (Western Washington, So., Kent, Wash. - Kentridge) Sewell led GNAC golfers as she tied for 11th at the Dennis Rose Invitational in Hawaii with a three-round score of 236. She had a low round of 74 in the opening round. Also Nominated: Chloe Read (Saint Martin’s).

Feb. 20-26: Shantel Antonio (Concordia, So., Hilo, Hawaii – Kamehameha-Hawaii) Emily Leung (Simon Fraser, So., Richmond, B.C. – Yew Chung International School), and Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Hillsboro, Ore. – Liberty) The three players tied for 13th place at the CBU Women’s Invitational in Corona, Calif., with scores of 10-over-par 154. All three players had low rounds on the opening day, with Leung shooting 1-over-par 73 while Antonio and Miller shot 3-over-par 75.

March 6-12: Kortney McNeil (Montana State Billings, So., Billings, Mont. – Billings Senior): McNeil placed second at the Beaver-Jacket Classic in Las Vegas with a score of 11-over-par 155, finishing just one stroke behind medalist Eryn Ellis of Rocky Mountain. She scored a low round of 2-over-par 74 in the tournament’s opening round. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene).

March 13-19: Emily Leung (Simon Fraser, So., Richmond, B.C. – Yew Chung International): Leung tied for third place individually at the Interwest Chico State Invite, finishing at 9-over-par 153. She shot the tournament’s low round at 1-under-par 71 on the second day. Leung led Simon Fraser to a fifth-place team finish. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene).