Thursday, April 13, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Five GNAC teams wrapped up the 2017 regular season on Tuesday afternoon two weeks before all six teams return to the Coeur d’Alene Resort for the 2017 GNAC Championships.

Western Washington made sure that it has the momentum going into the conference event after leading four GNAC teams at the Mustang Intercollegiate with a fifth-place team finish out of 19 participating squads. The Vikings finished with a team score of 21-over-par 597, led by Jenn Paul’s seventh-place finish with a score of even-144.

Concordia finished 19 strokes behind Western Washington for seventh place at 40-over-par 616. Lynsie Furuya led Concordia with the second-best score of any GNAC competitor at 5-over-par 149. Her teammate, Shantel Antonio, finished one stroke behind for 25th place overall out of 100 competitors.

Montana State Billings finished in a three-way tie for ninth place at 44-over-par 620 with the help of Kortney McNeil carding a 6-over-par 150. Saint Martin’s finished in 16th place at 54-over-par 630 with their top three athletes all within two strokes of each other. Hailey Warren led the group of Saints with an 11-over-par 155.

Northwest Nazarene stayed close to home to compete in the College of Idaho Invitational, where the Crusaders earned second place with a team score of 103-over-par 671 out of seven teams. Samantha Miller took second place at the event with a score of 13-over-par 155.

Simon Fraser was the lone school not in action this week after wrapping up the regular season at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational on April 3-4. Jaya Rampuri was named GNAC Player of the Week after leading the Clan to a sixth-place finish with a score of 75-over-par 651. Individually, Rampuri carded a 14-over-par 158 in Rohnert Park, California.

In the first NCAA Regional Rankings, which help determine which teams will advance to the postseason, Simon Fraser was the highest-ranked GNAC team at No. 12. The Clan was followed by Western Washington at No. 14. The top 12 teams in the West Region will advance to the NCAA Division II West Super Regional in Wichita, Kansas, on May 8-10.

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

• Stan McKenzi (CU): Saint Martin’s Invitational, Oct. 7-8 (4-over-par 77)
• Sammy Walter (MSUB): Western Washington Invitational, Oct. 10-11 (Even 146)
• Samantha Miller (NNU): 2017 NNU Invitational, March 27-28 (6-over par 150)

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

• Concordia: Saint Martin’s Invite (1-under-par 571)
• Montana State Billings: MSUB Yellowjacket Spring Invitational March 27-28 (42-over-par 618)

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).

March 20-26: Shantel Antonio (Concordia, So., Hilo, Hawaii – Kamehameha-Hawaii): Antonio was the top GNAC finisher at the Otter Invitational, finishing in a tie for 17th place as she carded a score of 12-over-par 156. She shot 6-over-par 78 on both days. Also Nominated: Jenn Paul (Western Washington).

March 27-April 2: Sam Miller (Northwest Nazarene, Sr., Hillsboro, Ore. – Liberty): Miller earned medalist honors at the Northwest Nazarene Invitational. She won by eight strokes with a two-round score of 6-over-par 150, which included a tournament-low round of 1-over-par 73 on the second day. Also Nominated: Sammy Walter (Montana State Billings).

April 3-9: Jaya Rampuri (Simon Fraser, Fr., Coquitlam, B.C. – Charles Best): Rampuri was the top GNAC player at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational. She finished in a four-way tie for eighth place with a score of 14-over-par 158, carding a 79 in both rounds. Rampuri led the Clan to a sixth-place team finish. Also Nominated: Samantha Miller (Northwest Nazarene).