Wednesday, March 22, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – It was a relatively quiet week on the men’s links around the GNAC last week as Simon Fraser and Northwest Nazarene were the only teams in competition.

Both programs traveled to Alameda, California to play in the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout with Simon Fraser notching a second-place finish and Northwest Nazarene finishing in 12th. The Red Leafs carded a two-day score of 7-under-par 569 and were just three strokes behind tournament champion Cal State San Marcos.

GNAC Men’s Golfer of the Week Michael Crisologo led the way for SFU and all GNAC players, finishing eighth in the tournament with a two-day score of 4-under-par 140. He played his best round on the second day where he carded a score of 69.

The schedule is set to get busier early next week as Simon Fraser, Montana State Billings, Saint Martin’s and Western Washington all travel to play in the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational in Turlock, California. on March 27 and 28.

LAST WEEK’S TOURNAMENTS

Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout (March 13-14, at Corica Park, Alameda, Calif.) Team – 1, Cal State San Marcos, 566. 2, Simon Fraser, 285. 12, Northwest Nazarene, 584. Individual – T-1, Luke Duggar, Holy Names, 136. T-1, Greg Mouser, Cal State San Marcos, 136. T-1, Andy Yoon, Cal State Dominguez Hills, 136. 8, Michael Crisologo, Simon Fraser, 140. T-9, Jordan Bean, Simon Fraser, 141. T-11, Luke Birkinbine, Northwest Nazarene, 142. T-17, Aidan Goodfellow, Simon Fraser, 143. T-24, Cole Evarts, Northwest Nazarene, 144.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS

• Montana State Billings was most recently in action at the Battle In The Desert in La Quinta, California from Feb. 28 to March 1 and the NNU Poppy Ridge Invitational in Livermore, California on March 6 and 7. The Yellowjackets finished 14th with a score of 894 at the Battle In The Desert and followed that up with a four-place finish at the Poppy Ridge Invitational with a score of 606.

• Senior Dawson Strobel was the top Yellowjacket at the Battle In The Desert, finishing with a three-round score of 5-over-par 221 in a four-way tie for 27th. Strobel followed that up with a tie for 30th place at the NNU Poppy Ridge Invitational with a two-round score of 156. Junior Kevin Kolb also joined Strobel in that tie for 30th place in Livermore.

• Junior Carson Garner carded the top score for MSUB at the Poppy Ridge Invite, finishing in ninth place with a two-round score of 5-over-par 149. He put together a relatively even performance, shooting a 75 on day one and a 74 on day two. Garner was joined in the top 10 for the Yellowjackets by junior Paul O’Neil who finished in a three-way tie for 10th with a score of 6-over-par 150.

• Montana State Billings will be back on the course for the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational in Turlock, California from March 27-28.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE

• Northwest Nazarene was one of two GNAC teams in action last week at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout in Alameda, California The Nighthawks finished in 12th place with a two-day score of 8-over-par 584 and were just one stroke behind a three-way tie for ninth place.

• Freshman Luke Birkinbine was the leading golfer for NNU in the tournament, carding a two-day score of 2-under-par 142 to finish in a six-way tie for 11th place. Birkinbine was one of four GNAC golfers to place in the top 20 of the tournament along with a trio of Simon Fraser golfers.

• Junior Cole Evarts finished the tournament par for the course with a score of 144 in a tie for 24th. Junior Grayson Giboney and sophomore Colton Sisk rounded out scoring for the Nighthawks in ties for 37th and 75th, respectively. Giboney finished with a score of 1-over-par 145 while Sisk carded a two-day score of 154.

• Northwest Nazarene won’t return to competition until next month when it travels to play in the RJGA Palm Valley Classic in Goodyear, Arizona on April 3-4.

SAINT MARTIN’S

• Saint Martin’s was last in action last at the Battle In The Desert in La Quinta, California on Feb. 28 to March 1 and the NNU Poppy Ridge Invitational in Livermore, California on March 6 and 7. The Saints finished 13th at the Battle In The Desert with a score of 849, four strokes ahead of GNAC rival Montana State Billings. They followed that up with a tie for fifth place with Academy of Art at the Poppy Ridge Invite, beating Northwest Nazarene by nine strokes.

• Freshman Mason Bratcher was the leading golfer for SMU in La Quinta, carding a three-round score of 6-over-par 222 to finish in a tie for 31st. Bratcher was followed by teammates Kyle Erwin and Mason Rohleder in scoring for the Saints. Erwin and Rohleder accounted for half of a four-way tie for 39th with scores of 224. Senior Max Turnquist rounded out the scoring for SMU in a tie for 53rd with a score of 228.

• Bratcher led the way for the Saints again at the NNU Poppy Ridge Invite, carding a two-round score of 153 to tie for 18th place. Erwin and Turnquist made it three SMU golfers covered by three strokes in the top 30 by finishing in ties for 22nd and 26th, respectively. Erwin carded a score of 154 while Turnquist finished with a score of 155. Rohleder and senior Jordan Terada both finished in a tie for 32nd, just two strokes behind Turnquist.

• Saint Martin’s will be back on the course with the majority of GNAC teams at the Hanny Stanislaus Invite in Turlock, California on March 27 and 28.

SIMON FRASER

• Simon Fraser captured a second-place finish at the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout in Alameda, California with a two-round score of 7-under-par 569. The Red Leafs were just three strokes behind tournament winner Cal State San Marcos and 15 strokes ahead of Northwest Nazarene in 12th.

• Junior Michael Crisologo was named the GNAC Men’s Golf Player of the Week after leading all conference golfers at the tournament with a score of 4-under-par 140 in eighth place. Crisologo carded his lowest round on the second day of the tournament with a 69. Crisologo was closely followed by senior teammate Jordan Bean who finished just one stroke behind in a tie for ninth with a score of 3-under-par 141.

• Senior Aiden Goodfellow made it three SFU golfers in the top 20 with a two-round score of 1-under-par 143 to tie for 17th place. Sophomore Ryan Hodgins rounded out scoring for the Red Leafs in a tie for 45th and carded a score of 3-over-par 147.

• Simon Fraser will join several GNAC programs on the course in Turlock, California for the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational on March 27 and 28.

WESTERN WASHINGTON

• Western Washington was last on the course at the Battle In The Desert in La Quinta California from Feb. 28 to March 1. The Vikings led all GNAC teams at the tournament with a three-round score of 884 to finish in a three-way tie for eighth place with Cal State Dominguez Hills and Western New Mexico. Western Washington was just two strokes behind seventh-place Hawaii Hilo and 10 strokes ahead of closest GNAC-rival Saint Martin’s in 13th.

• Senior Jordan Lee led all GNAC golfers at the tournament, carding a three-round score of 216 for par. Sophomore Seth King was the second-highest placing golfer for the Vikings in La Quinta with a score of 4-over-par 220 to finish in a tie for 21st. King showed consistent improvement through the rounds, dropping his number of strokes each time he took to the course.

• Sophomore Conrad Brown finished in a three-way tie for 31st with a score of 222. Junior Drew Halili rounded out the scoring effort for the Vikings with a three-round score of 227 to finish in a tie for 49th.

• Western Washington will join Saint Martin’s, Montana State Billings and Simon Fraser in Turlock for the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational on March 27 and 28.