Friday, March 30, 2018

PORTLAND, Ore. – Northwest Nazarene was the lone GNAC team to compete this week, finishing in a tie for 10th place at the Bulldog Classic on Tuesday. Junior Stephanie Miller paced the Nighthawks as she tied for 34th after seeing a three-stroke improvement in her final round to end at 163 (83-80). Sophomore Natalie Beggrow finished two strokes behind Miller for a tie in 49th (165) after shooting an 81 in her final round.

Scheduled to host the Yellowjacket Invitational last week, Montana State Billings saw its annual home tournament pushed back to April 16-17 due to poor weather conditions. The Yellowjackets are primed for a busy April as they will play three tournaments in as many weeks.

With April around the corner, three conference teams have its sights set on Rohnert Park, Calif. Concordia, Northwest Nazarene and Simon Fraser travel south to play in the Sonoma State Spring Invitational next Monday and Tuesday. Concordia is led by the duo of junior Shantel Antonio and sophomore Cammie Decker, who are second and third in the GNAC with a 78.2 and 78.5 stroke average, respectively. Simon Fraser, meanwhile, is paced by junior Emily Leung who leads the league with 76.5 strokes per round.

LAST WEEK’S TOURNAMENTS

Otter Invitational (Mar. 19-20 at Poppy Hills GC, Pebble Beach, Calif.): Team – 1, Dallas Baptist, 291. 11, Simon Fraser, 313. 20, Montana State Billings, 338. Individuals – 1, Hannah Harrison, Dallas Baptist, 68. T24, Estee Leung, Simon Fraser, 76. T41, Bailee Dexter, Montana State Billings, 78. T54, Emily Leung, Simon Fraser, 79. T54, Belinda Lin, Simon Fraser, 79. T54, Michelle Waters, Simon Fraser, 79.

Bulldog Classic (Mar. 26-27 at Indian Springs GC, Indio, Calif.): Team – 1, Embry Riddle, 608 (311-297). T10, Northwest Nazarene, 662 (333-329). Individuals – 1, Jessica Williams, Embry Riddle, 146 (77-69). T34, Stephanie Miller, Northwest Nazarene, 163 (83-80). T41, Natalie Beggrow, Northwest Nazarene, 165 (84-81). T49, Hannah Holloway, Northwest Nazarene, 168 (80-88). T64, Trinity McCarthy, 172 (92-80). T76, Ragan McGilvery, Northwest Nazarene, 175 (86-89).

AROUND THE GNAC
CONCORDIA
LAST WEEK:Idle
NEXT WEEK: April 2-3 at Somona State Spring Invitational in Rohnert Park, Calif.

Concordia last played on Feb. 26-27 and came away with a tie for 12th place at the Lancer Joust.

Antonio and Decker have been superb for the Cavaliers this season as the duo is ranked second and third in the GNAC with a 78.2 and 78.5 stroke average, respectively.

Concordia will visit Rohnert Park, Calif., on April 2 to play in the Sonoma State Spring Invitational.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
LAST WEEK: Otter Invitational, 20th of 20, 338.
THIS WEEK: Idle.

Suspended in the second round due to heavy rainfall on Tuesday, the Otter Invitational was officially scored as an 18-hole, one-day event. Montana State Billings finished with a team score of 338.

The Yellowjackets were led by senior Bailee Dexter who tied for 41st with a 78. Junior Shealyn Hafer was the second-highest MSUB finisher at 13-over par while senior Sammy Walter ended the tournament with an 86.

Hafer, Dexter, freshman Renae Heisler and junior Sarah Schroefel lead MSUB with 11 rounds played this season. Dexter leads the pack with an 80.7 stroke average while Hafer is at 80.9 strokes per round.

Scheduled to host the Yellowjacket Classic last week, Montana State Billings saw its annual tournament pushed back to April 16-17 due to poor weather conditions. It will next play in the Mustang Intercollegiate on April 9.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
LAST WEEK: Bulldog Classic, Tie 10th of 17, 662 (333-329).
NEXT WEEK: April 2-3 at Sonoma State Spring Invitational in Rohnert Park, Calif.

The only GNAC team to play this week, Northwest Nazarene shaved four strokes off its first-round score to tie for 10th in the Bulldog Classic.

Junior Stephanie Miller paced the Nighthawks with a tie for 34th after seeing a three-stroke improvement in her final round to end at 163 (83-80). Miller leads the team this season with an 83.9 stroke average.

Sophomore Natalie Beggrow finished second for NNU after she finished two strokes behind Miller to tie for 49th place. Beggrow ended the tournament with a 165 after shooting a 9-over par 81 in her final round.

Miller is among five Nighthawks that have played all 14 rounds this season. Beggrow is tied for second on the team with freshman Trinity McCarthy at 86.1 strokes per round.

Northwest Nazarene returns to action next week when it travels to Rohnert Park, Calif., for the Sonoma State Spring Invitational.

SAINT MARTIN’S
LAST WEEK: Idle.
NEXT WEEK:Idle.

Saint Martin’s last played at the Augustana Spring Fling on Mar. 16, where it earned a 10th-place finish after carding a 696 (338-358).

Senior Hannah Reynolds led Saint Martin’s by finishing in a four-way tie for 14th with a 159 (80-79). Shooting a team-low 7-over par 79 in the opening round, junior Celia Beyke ended the tournament tied for 34th with a 170 (79-80). Senior Lisa Zelasko rounded out the Saints’ top-three scorers in 44th after shooting a 176 (86-90).

Beyke leads the team with an 81.4 stroke average through 11 rounds. She is joined by junior TiAnna Ford with 11 rounds played this season. Ford is averaging 88.1 strokes per round.

The Saints return to the golf course on April 9 where they will be one of four GNAC teams playing in the Mustang Intercollegiate in Goodyear, Ariz.

SIMON FRASER
LAST WEEK: Otter Invitational, 11th of 20, 313.
THIS WEEK:April 2-3 at Sonoma State Spring Invitational in Rohnert Park, Calif.

Despite the Otter Invitational being rained out in the second round last week, Simon Fraser ended the event with an 11th place finish (25-over par 313). The tournament was officially scored as an 18-hole, one-day affair.

Freshman Estee Leung was named the GNAC Women’s Golf Player of the Week after she had the GNAC’s lowest round with a 5-over par 76. Finishing two strokes behind her for a 12-way tie for 54th were teammates Emily Leung, senior Michelle Waters and junior Belinda Lin. Senior Erin Farner rounded out the Clan’s scoring five with an 88.

Lin is fourth in the league shooting 79.1 strokes per round. Emily Leung and Waters lead the Clan with 15 rounds played this season. Leung is averaging a league-best 76.5 stroke average while Waters is sixth in the GNAC shooting 79.5 strokes per round.

Simon Fraser is back in action on April 2 when it takes part in the Sonoma State Spring Invitational in Rohnert Park, Calif.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
LAST WEEK: Idle.
NEXT WEEK: Idle.

In its last competition, the Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout on Mar. 6, senior Jenn Paul carded back-to-back rounds of 6-over par to finish with a two-round total of 156. In addition to Paul’s top-15 finish, junior Stephanie Sewell tied for 44th at 21-over par while junior Annie Leete tied for 52nd at 168.

Paul is among GNAC leaders with a 79.3 stroke average and is one of four Vikings to play more than 12 rounds this season. Sewell is second on the team shooting 80 strokes per round.

With the entire month of March off, the Vikings will be well rested heading into the Mustang Invitational in Goodyear, Ariz., on April 9.

GNAC Women’s Golf Player of the Week (Mar. 26, 2018)

Estee Leung (Simon Fraser, Fr., Richmond, B.C. – South Island School): Leung had the GNAC’s lowest round at the rain-shortened Otter Invitational, carding a score of five-over-par 76 to finish in a tie for 24th place. 

Also Nominated: Bailee Dexter (Montana State Billings).