Saturday, April 17, 2021

DUPONT, Wash. – It has been six years since Western Washington last won the conference title, but the Vikings are the favorites this year as they enter the 2021 GNAC Women’s Golf Championships on April 19-20 at The Home Course in DuPont, Washington.

The Vikings lead the GNAC with a 322.5 stroke average and have the top three scorers in the conference this season. Freshman Elise Sumner leads the way with a 79.6 stroke average over eight rounds. She finished in the top-five twice, opening the season with a fifth-place finish at the Nighthawks Invitational on March 8-9 in Livermore, California, with a two-round score of 157. She tied for fourth at the Western Washington Spring Invitational on Monday and Tuesday at 164 as the Vikings claimed the team title to close their regular season.

Helping to lead the Vikings this year are fellow freshmen Sophia Schmidt and Dani Bailey. Schmidt is second in the conference with an 80.9 stroke average and won the Western Washington Spring Invitational with a score of 156. Bailey owns an 81.4 stroke average and has two top-10 finishes. Sophomore Sarah Shea has also impressed this season, wrapping up the regular season at 82.1.

Northwest Nazarene also has a tournament win this spring, claiming the team title at the Lewis-Clark State Warrior Spring Invitational in Clarkston, Washington, with a two-round score of 654. Northwest Nazarene placed third at its own Nighthawks Invitational at 659 and was the runner-up at the Western Washington Spring Invitational at 664.

The Nighthawks are second in the conference with a 328.8 stroke average and have a mixture of newcomers and upperclassmen leading the way. Freshman Madison Gridley leads the team and is fourth in the conference with an 81.8 stroke average over eight rounds. She has two top-10 finishes, including a fourth-place finish at the LC State Spring Invitational at 162.

Junior Taylor Entenman is seventh in the conference with an 82.4 stroke average while senior Hannah Holloway is ninth at 82.7. Entenman tied for ninth place at the LC State Spring Invitational at 168. Holloway has a pair of top-10 finishes, led by her performance at the Western Washington Spring Invitational as she tied for fourth at 164.

Montana State Billings enters the GNAC Championships ranked third in the conference with a 335.1 stroke average. The Yellowjackets look to stay hot after closing their regular season with a win at the Hardrocker Spring Classic on Monday and Tuesday in Rapid City, South Dakota, with a score of 681 over two rounds.

Junior Tierney Messmer is MSUB’s leading scorer at 82.2, which ranks sixth in the conference. Messmer placed third at the Hardrocker Spring Classic at 168 and was the Yellowjackets’ top performer at four of their five tournaments. Fellow junior Avery Gill is 10th in the conference with an 82.8 stroke average. Gill placed second in Rapid City with a score of 163. She finished tied for the lead but Rianna Garland of South Dakota Mines earned medalist honors after winning a playoff hole.

Rounding out the competing teams is Saint Martin’s with a 338.8 stroke average. The Saints closed their regular season at the Western Washington Spring Invitational, finishing in third place at 681.

Sophomore Kathryn Crimp leads the Saints and is eighth in the conference with an 82.6 stroke average. She placed second at the Western Washington Spring Invitational at 161. Sophomores Jada French and Hoku Nagamine both own averages of 84.3. French tied for eighth at the Nighthawks Invitational at 160.

The GNAC Championships begin Monday at 8:25 a.m. The second round takes place Tuesday, beginning at 8:25 a.m. The winning team will receive the GNAC’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Championships.

As per GNAC policy, spectators will not be allowed at the GNAC Golf Championships. The live leaderboard can be accessed at GNACSports.com.