Monday, May 16, 2022

PORTLAND, Ore. – Three of the GNAC’s top men’s golfers received PING All-West Region recognition from the Golf Coaches Association of America after consistently strong performances in the regular season and postseason.

Western Washington seniors Aidan Thain and Devin Andrews as well as Simon Fraser freshman Bailey Bjornson were named to the 12-member All-West Region team. It is the second consecutive honor for Thain and Andrews, who both made the team in 2021, and the first for Bjornson.

Thain, the conference’s Player of the Year, led all GNAC golfers with a 72.2 stroke average over 25 rounds between the fall and spring seasons. He ran away with the GNAC Championships – winning the event by 16 strokes and finishing at 14-under-par 199 to set a new GNAC 54-hole record. In the second round of the Championships, he shot a 64 to tie the all-time lowest spring round in conference history. Thain tied for 59th place at the NCAA West Regional at 5-over-par 218.

Andrews was the GNAC’s highest finisher at the regional, tying for 15th at 2-under-par 211. Andrews carded rounds of 70, 71 and 70 on the par-71 course. Andrews had the sixth-lowest stroke average in the GNAC, shooting an average of 74 in 17 rounds. He finished tied for 10th at the GNAC Championships.

Bjornson was honored as the conference’s Freshman of the Year and finished with the second-lowest stroke average in the GNAC behind Thain at 72.5. Bjornson tied for second at the GNAC Championships, one of four top-ten finishes in his debut season. Bjornson also scooped three GNAC Player of the Week awards.