Friday, March 9, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – In a weather-delayed opening day at the Bay Area Invitational last week, it was Western Washington that led the GNAC with a fourth-place finish while Concordia placed 9th.

The Vikings were also the only GNAC team to partake in the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout earlier this week, tying for sixth place with a three-round team score of 895 (307-293-295).

Five GNAC teams will be in action next week with four participating in the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational while Montana State Billings travel to Las Vegas, Nev., to play in the Warrior Invitational. Concordia has the week off and will resume action on Mar. 19 at the Battle at Goose Creek.

LAST WEEK’S TOURNAMENTS

Bay Area Invitational (Feb. 26-27 at The Course at Wente Vineyards, Livermore, Calif.): Team – 1, Sonoma State, 906 (309-303-294). 4, Western Washington, 926 (314-309-303). 9, Concordia 959 (325-327-307). 11, Saint Martin’s, 962 (333-328-301). 13, Northwest Nazarene, 977 (341-320-316). 14, Simon Fraser, 994 (333-336-325). 15, Montana State Billings, 1033 (353-336-344). Individual – 1, Zach Sims, Holy Names, 222 (72-77-73). 2, Ethan Casto, Western Washington, 223 (76-70-77). T8, Michael Butler, Western Washington, 227 (76-77-74). T18, Tanner Huddleston, Concordia, 233 (78-77-78). T21, Henry Bernard, Northwest Nazarene, 234 (85-75-74). T21, Cody Roth, Western Washington, 234 (78-81-75).

Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout (Mar. 5-6 at The Club at Ruby Hills, Pleasanton, Calif.): Team – 1, St. Edward’s, 873 (299-289-285). T6th, Western Washington, 895 (307-293-295). Individuals – 1, Zack Sims, Holy Names (213 (71-70-72). T9, Michael Butler, Western Washington, 221 (77-71-73). T9, Ethan Casto, Western Washington, 221 (74-69-78). T26, Adam Barker, Western Washington, 228 (76-81-71). T44, Willy Scholten, Western Washington, 235 (80-76-79). T44, Nick Sparling, Western Washington, 235 (85-77-73).

AROUND THE GNAC
CONCORDIA
LAST WEEK: Bay Area Invitational, 9th of 16, 959 (325-327-307).
THIS WEEK: Idle

• Senior Tanner Huddleston led the way for the Cavaliers at the Bay Area Invitational with a three-round score of 233 (78-77-75), which was six strokes out of 10th place. 

• Senior Nick Huff recorded the second-lowest Cavalier score with a 241 (80-85-76) to finish in a four-way tie for 38th place. Finishing one stroke behind in a tie for 42nd was sophomore Jaxson Daskalos after carding a 242.

• Daskalos and junior Braeden Campbell lead the Cavaliers with 15 rounds played this season. Junior Isaac Hall leads the team with 72.2 strokes per round.

• The Cavaliers will return to the course on March 19 when they play in the Battle at Goose Creek in Jurupa Valley, Calif.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
LAST WEEK: Bay Area Invitational, 15th of 16, 1,033 (353-336-344).
THIS WEEK: Mar. 11-12 at Warrior Invitational, Las Vegas, Nev.

• Freshman Caleb Trost was the Yellowjackets’ top finisher at the Bay Area Invitational after tying for 53rd with a three-round score of 245 (85-80-80). Trost leads the squad with 15 rounds played and is averaging 76.7 strokes per round.
 
• Sophomore Garrett Woodin finished tied for 63rd after carding a 251.Junior Scott Larson finished 10 strokes behind Woodin as he ended with a 261 (89-82-90).
 
• Freshmen Jayd Dion and Riley Kaercher rounded out MSUB’s five by finishing in 79th and 80th place, respectively. Dion shot a 277 (93-91-93) while Kaercher finished three strokes behind with a 280 (97-91-92).

• Montana State Billings is back in action on Monday and is the only GNAC team that will participate in the Warrior Invitational in Las Vegas, Nev.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
LAST WEEK: Bay Area Invitational, 13th of 16, 977 (341-320-316).
THIS WEEK: Mar. 10-11 at Notre Dame de Namur Invitational, Livermore, Calif.

• In the tournament’s third round, sophomore Henry Bernard and junior Justin Higgins shot a 74 and 73 to lead Northwest Nazarene to the 13th-place team finish.

• Bernard carded a 3-over par 75 in his second round to finish with a three-round total of 234 and a tie for 21st place.

• Higgins ended the second round shooting an 85 before firing a 1-over par 73 in the final round for a team-best score for the tournament. He ended in 45th place with a three-round score of 243.

• Freshman Isaac Emerson finished with a 261 (84-80-97) while freshman Andrew Cortez ended the tournament shooting a 263 (100-80-83).

• Bernard leads the Nighthawks with one first-place finish this season and is averaging 76.3 strokes per round.

• The Nighthawks are one of four GNAC teams to play in the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational next Monday in Livermore, Calif.

SAINT MARTIN’S
LAST WEEK: Bay Area Invitational, 11th of 16, 962 (333-328-301).
THIS WEEK: Mar. 10-11 at Notre Dame de Namur Invitational, Livermore, Calif.

• Junior Trevor Frisby managed to shave 10 strokes off his third-round score to finish with a team-best 238 (82-82-72) at the Bay Area Invitational.

• Freshman Tyler Fitchett (82-79-79-240) was the only Saint to record two sub-80 scores and finished tied for 34th overall. Derrick Phelps 241 (82-83-76) placed third on the team and led the Saints with 32 pars.

• Rounding out the scorecard for Saint Martin's was senior Andrew Raab 249 (89-86-74) while senior Chace Daskalos (252) improved his score throughout the tournament to finish tied for 67th overall.

• Five Saints have played 15 round this season. Frisby leads the pack with 74.5 strokes per round and is one of three Saints with a top-10 finish.

• The Saints are one of four GNAC teams to play in the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational next Monday in Livermore, Calif.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Bay Area Invitational, 14th of 16, 994 (333-336-325).
THIS WEEK: Mar. 10-11 at Notre Dame de Namur Invitational, Livermore, Calif.

• Junior Marcus Brown paced the Clan with a 42nd-place finish after carding a 242 (79-82-81) at the Bay Area Invitational. After carding a 5-over par 77 in the opening round, freshman Ryan Stolys finished the tournament tied with Brown.

• Senior Jordan Hutchings improved four strokes in the final round to card an 8-over par 80 to end the tournament with a three-round total of 253.

• Despite missing his first GNAC tournament of the season, senior Chris Crisologo continues to lead the Clan with 70.3 strokes per round while sophomore Sy Lovan is averaging 73.3 strokes in rounds played this year.

• Simon Fraser, along with four other GNAC teams, prepare for the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational next Monday in Livermore, Calif.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Bay Area Invitational, 4th of 16, 926 (314-309-303). Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout, T6th of 10, 895 (307-293-295).
THIS WEEK: Mar. 10-11 at Notre Dame de Namur Invitational, Livermore, Calif.

• Sophomore Ethan Casto was named the GNAC Golf Player of the Week after finishing 2nd at the Bay Area Invitational, carding a three-round score of 7-over-par 223. He finished one stroke off the pace set by medalist Zach Sims of Holy Names and shot a tournament-low 2-under-par 70 in the second round of play. Casto led the Vikings to a fourth-place team finish to open the spring season.

• Junior Michael Butler also recorded a top-10 finish with a three-round score of 227 (76-77-74). Junior Cody Roth finished just outside the top-20 after carding an 18-over par 234.

• The only GNAC team playing in the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout, Butler and Casto tied for 16th place at 221. Butler shot even-par in his final two rounds while Casto recorded a second-round score of 3-under par 69.

• Senior Adam Barker finished in a tie for 39th place at 12-over par 228.

Butler leads Western Washington with 15 rounds played this season and is averaging a team-best 73.6 strokes per round. Barker is right behind him with 73.7.

• The Vikings are one of four GNAC teams to play in the Notre Dame de Namur Invitational next Monday in Livermore, Calif.

GNAC Men’s Golf Player of the Week (Mar. 5, 2018)

Ethan Casto (Western Washington, So., Snohomish, Wash. – Snohomish): Casto was the runner-up at the Bay Area Invitational, carding a three-round score of 7-over-par 223. He finished one stroke off the pace set by medalist Zach Sims of Holy Names and shot a tournament-low 2-under-par 70 in the second round of play. Casto led the Vikings to a fourth-place team finish to open the spring season.

Also Nominated: Tanner Huddleston (Concordia).