Friday, November 1, 2013

PORTLAND, Ore. – Kristen Hansen of Western Washington tied a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record this fall with a single-round score of 70 in the Western New Mexico Invitational on Sept. 23.

Hansen’s score helped her to a third-place finish at the tournament, just one strong behind the co-champions, and contributed to her GNAC-leading average of 76.1 this fall. Hansen finished in the top-10 in all four events she participated in this fall, landing in the top-five twice and twice earning Red Lion Golfer of the Week honors. 

As a team, Western Washington leads the GNAC with a scoring average of 315.2 over eight rounds, and four of the Vikings’ golfers are in the top-10 in individual scoring. Joining Hansen were Anna Bourland (78.8 in 8 rounds), Audrey Orem (80.4 in 8) and Brooke Branigan (80.6 in 8).

Keeping pace with Hansen was Jennifer Liedes from Saint Martin’s, whose average of 77.1 over seven rounds was the second-best mark in the GNAC this fall. Liedes finished third at the Western Washington Invitational with an SMU-record low round of 71, and nabbed a second-place finish at the Dennis Rose Invitational this week with a 224 (74-72-78) three-round total.

Saint Martin’s checked in with an average of 319.9 over seven rounds as a team, with Mandy Wittmier joining Liedes amongst the conference’s top-10 individuals. Wittmier averaged 78.4 over seven rounds, and finished as high as third at the Saint Martin’s Invitational Oct. 4-5 with a score of 153 (77-76).

For Northwest Nazarene, freshman Samantha Miller burst onto the scene with an average of 78.1 over seven rounds this fall. Miller finished second at the Saint Martin’s Invitational, logging a 152 (74-78) to help the Saints to a fourth-place finish at the tournament.

Haley Gochnour was another top-10 GNAC golfer for NNU this fall, averaging 80.6 over seven rounds. Gochnour’s best result came when she tied Miller for 10th at the Vikes Shootout Oct. 14-15, with a score of 159 (79-80).

NNU averaged 331.9 as a team this fall, and broke it’s school single-round scoring record twice with new marks of 329 and then 323 so far in 2013.

Montana State Billings posted the third-best team average at 320.1 over nine rounds this fall, led by Katie Fish who averaged 78.9 over nine rounds. Fish twice finished in the top-10, with her second-place result of 152 (79-73) at the Yellowjacket Fall Invitational just one stroke off the champion and the best finish by a Yellowjacket thus far in 2013.

Joining Fish amongst the GNAC leaders is Capri Ingram, who tallied a 79.6 average over nine rounds this fall. Ingram also finished in the top-10 in two events, and was right behind Fish in the Yellowjacket Invitational with a score of 153 (79-73).

Simon Fraser finished the fall with an average of 353.1 over nine rounds of golf. Individually, Nicky Jordan led the clan with an average of 82.8 and posted SFU’s lowest single round with a mark of 77 at the Vikes Shootout Oct. 14-15. 

Erin Farner also had success for SFU, notching a low-round of 80 and averaging 86.0 over seven rounds this fall.

GNAC women’s golf will resume in the spring of 2014, with NNU and SMU getting underway with an early tournament in February.

MSU Billings, Western Washington, and Saint Martin’s all kick off their spring schedules in mid-March.