Friday, March 26, 2021

PORTLAND, Ore. – For the second straight week, freshman Elise Sumner of Western Washington was named the GNAC Women’s Golf Player of the Week.

A First Team All-GNAC selection in 2019-20, Sumner led all conference players at the El Cheapo Classic on Sunday in Pueblo, Colorado, with a score of 158 over two rounds to finish in 11th place. She shot a 7-over-par 79 in both rounds to lead the Vikings to a sixth-place team finish. Sumner leads the GNAC with a 78.8 stroke average.

Fellow WWU freshmen Sophia Schmidt and Dani Bailey also performed well for the Vikings. Schmidt finished in a three-way tie for 17th place with a score of 161 while Bailey tied for 25th at 164.

Montana State Billings junior Tierney Messmer was the Yellowjackets’ top performer at the El Cheapo Classic, finishing in a four-way tie for 27th place at 166.

Northwest Nazarene competed at a pair of exhibition tournaments, winning a dual match against College of Idaho on Mar. 12 with a single-round score of 317 before taking the team title at the LC State Spring Invitational on Mar. 15-16 with a two-round score of 654, just one stroke ahead of second-place Lewis-Clark State.

Montana State Billings, Northwest Nazarene, Saint Martin’s and Western Washington will all compete at the Palm Valley Classic on April 2-3 in Goodyear, Arizona.

LAST WEEK’S TOURNAMENTS
El Cheapo Classic (Mar. 21 at the Walking Stick Golf Course, Pueblo, Colo.): Team - 6, Western Washington, 654. 8, Montana State Billings, 670. Individual - 11, Elise Sumner, Western Washington, 158. T17, Sophia Schmidt, Western Washington, 161. T25, Dani Bailey, Western Washington, 164. T27, Tierney Messmer, Montana State Billings, 166. T31, Avery Gill, Montana State Billings, 167.

AROUND THE GNAC
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
• Montana State Billings placed eighth at the El Cheapo Classic on Sunday in Pueblo, Colorado, with a two-round score of 670.

• Junior Tierney Messmer led the Yellowjackets, finishing in a four-way tie for 27th place at 166. She leads MSUB and ranks No. 8 in the GNAC with an 83.3 stroke average.

• Junior Avery Gill tied for 31st place at 167, which included a team-best score of 82 in the first round. Junior Kinsey Irvin finished just behind Gill, tying for 33rd place at 168.

• Up next, the Yellowjackets will compete at the Palm Valley Classic on April 2-3 in Goodyear, Arizona.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE
• Northwest Nazarene continued its season with a pair of exhibition tournaments. The Nighthawks won a dual match against College of Idaho on Mar. 12 at the Ridgecrest Golf Course in Nampa, Idaho, with a single-round score of 317. The Nighthawks also took the team title at the LC State Spring Invitational on Mar. 15-16 at the Clarkston Golf and Country Club in Clarkston, Washington, with a two-round score of 654.

• Senior Trinity McCarthy led NNU against College of Idaho, placing first with a score of 2-over-par 74. Junior Taylor Entenman finished just behind in second place at 3-over-par 75.

• Freshman Madison Gridley paced NNU at the LC State Spring Invitational, placing fourth at 162, one shot behind third-place Alexandra Schmidt of Lewis-Clark State. Her performance included a low score of 8-over-par 80 in the first round. Senior Hannah Holloway also impressed, finishing in sixth place at 164.

• The Nighthawks will continue their season at the Palm Valley Classic on April 2-3 in Goodyear, Arizona.

SAINT MARTIN’S
• Saint Martin’s last competed at the Nighthawks Invitational on Mar. 8-9 in Livermore, California. The Saints placed sixth with a two-round score of 687.

• Sophomore Jada French was the Saints’ top performer at the Nighthawks Invitational. She tied for eighth place at 160, which included a low score of 6-over-par 78 in the second round.

• Saint Martin’s will compete next at the Palm Valley Classic on April 2-3 in Goodyear, Arizona.

SIMON FRASER
• Due to the closure of the U.S./Canada border due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simon Fraser’s golf season is on hold.

WESTERN WASHINGTON
• Western Washington placed sixth at the El Cheapo Classic on Sunday in Pueblo, Colorado, with a two-round score of 654, three strokes behind fifth-place Chadron State.

• Freshman Elise Sumner was named the GNAC Women’s Golf Player of the Week for the second straight week after she was the top GNAC finisher at the El Cheapo Classic. Sumner placed 11th with a score of 14-over-par 158, two strokes behind 10th-place Emily Shimkus of UC Colorado Springs. Sumner carded a 79 in both rounds. She leads the conference with a 78.8 stroke average.

• Freshman Sophia Schmidt finished in a three-way tie for 17th place at 161 while fellow freshman Dani Bailey tied for 25th at 164.

• Western Washington will join three other GNAC teams at the Palm Valley Classic on April 2-3 in Goodyear, Arizona.