GNAC Women Start Fall Golf Season
Anna Bourland and Western Washington will pursue a fifth straight conference title heading into the fall golf season.
Anna Bourland and Western Washington will pursue a fifth straight conference title heading into the fall golf season.
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Thursday, September 18, 2014

PORTLAND, Ore. - GNAC teams will be traveling around the country in the coming days to start off the 2014 women’s fall golf season.

The top two finishers from the 2013-14 GNAC championship, Western Washington and Montana State Billings, will travel down to Goodyear, AZ to compete in the Western New Mexico Mustang Invitational on Monday and Tuesday.

These two teams competed in this event last year, faring well at the event. Western Washington’s Kristen Hansen (Jr., Spokane, WA - Mead),  the 2013-14 GNAC Golfer of the Year,  shot a 70 on the first day of the tournament on her way to a third place finish. As a team, Western Washington finished in 3rd while MSU Billings tied for 6th place. Graduated senior Capri Ingram was the Yellowjackets top performer, tying for 24th place.

Hansen leads a group of Vikings that look to earn a fifth straight GNAC title this year. The 2013-14 GNAC conference champion Anna Bourland (Sr., Bainbridge, WA – Bainbridge HS) returns as does third place championship finisher Brooke Branigan (So., Bellingham, WA – Bellingham HS).

2013-14 first-team GNAC returnees include Newcomer of the Year Jennifer Liedes (So., Olympia, WA – University of Washington) from Saint Martin’s and Freshman of the Year Sam Miller (So., Hillsboro, OR – Liberty HS) from Northwest Nazarene.

Returning members of the second-team are Katie Fish (Sr., Great Falls, MT – Charles M. Russell HS) from Montana State Billings, Audrey Orem (So., Bellingham, WA – Bellingham HS) from Western Washington and Sarah Salvatori (Jr., Salem, OR – Sprague HS) from Saint Martin’s.

Simon Fraser also returns two of its top three golfers from 2013 in Erin Farner (So., Calgary, AB) and Mackenzie Field (Jr., Christina Lake, BC – Grand Forks HS). 

Two teams in the GNAC have already played a few rounds this fall.

Montana State Billings journeyed to Lakeland, CO to participate in the Colorado Christian Invitational on Tuesday. The Yellowjackets ended with five top 40 scores highlighted by Katie Fish’s 21st place finish.

Fish shot an opening round of 77, which put her in a tie for fourth overall after the first day, before shooting an 84 on the second. Haley Shackelford (So., Gillette, WY – Campbell County HS) and Sammy Walter (Fr., Billings, MT – Billings HS) both shot in the upper 70’s on day two, finishing in 23rd and 27th place.

Northwest Nazarene played an exhibition with the College of Idaho on Saturday resulting in a 29 stroke win. NNU’s Miller was the only golfer to shoot below an 80, finishing in first with an 18-hole score of 77.

The 2014 GNAC fall season will conclude at the end of October before the 2015 spring season begins in February. 

 

2014-15 Women’s Golf Team Capsules

 

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS Yellowjackets

Head Coach: Shawn O’Brien, MSUB ‘10

Assistants: Marcus Drange, Rhett Hightower

Top 5 Finishes 2013-14: Five (MSUB Yellowjacket Fall Invite – 1st; Black Hills State Invitational – 4th; Rocky Mountain Invitational – 3rd; MSUB Spring Invitational – 2nd; GNAC Championships – 2nd)

2013-14 Top Performers: Katie Fish (Top 10 finishes – Three; Average round – 80.8, Low round – 73); Capri Ingram (Top 10 finishes – Four; Average round – 81.3, Low round – 74); Melissa Saken (Top 10 finishes – Two; Average round – 81.7, Low round – 74)

Returnees: Carlan Campbell (Sr., Big Timber, MT/Sweet Grass County HS); Mariah Cleveland (Sr., Laurel, MT/Laurel HS); Cayley Fish (Sr., Great Falls, MT/Charles M. Russell HS); Katie Fish (Sr., Great Falls, MT/Charles M. Russell HS, 2nd team GNAC); Carlee Hart (Laurel, MT/Laurel HS); Haley Shackelford (So., Gillette, WY/Campbell County HS)

Freshman/Transfers: Bailee Dexter (Fr., Townsend, MT/Broadwater HS); Sammy Walter (Fr., Billings, MT/Billings HS)

 

NORTHWEST NAZARENE Crusaders

Head Coach: Craig Stensgaard, Northwest Nazarene ’92

Assistants: Chris Jensen, Scott Nicholes, Fred Sutton

Top 5 Finishes 2013-14: Four (Vikes Shootout – 3rd; Corban Invitational – 2nd; Northwest Nazarene Invitational -2nd; GNAC Championships – 5th)

2013-14 Top Performers: Sam Miller (Top 10 finishes – Seven; Average round – 80.6, Low round – 74); Haley Gochnour (Top 10 finishes – Three; Average round – 85.1, Low round – 77); Jessica Knight (Top 10 finishes – One; Average round – 87.0, Low round – 78)

Returnees: Cali Carpenter (So., Nampa, ID/Nampa Christian); Haley Gochnour (Jr., Boise, ID/Cole Valley Christian); Jessica Knight (Sr., Boise, ID/Centennial HS); Samantha Miller (So., Hillsboro, OR/Liberty HS, 1st team GNAC, Freshman of the Year); Brittney Paterson (So., Beaverton, OR/Beaverton HS); Carleigh Sturm (Jr., Thornton, CO/Thornton HS)

Freshman/Transfers: Danielle Finley (Fr., Vancouver, WA/ Union HS)

 

SAINT MARTIN’S Saints

Head Coach: Bob Grisham

Assistants: Mark Jensen

Top 5 Finishes 2013-14: Four (Saint Martin’s Invitational – 4th; Western Washington Invitational – 4th; Dennis Rose Invitational – 5th; GNAC Championships – 3rd)

2013-14 Top Performers: Jennifer Liedes (Top 10 finishes – Four; Average round – 78.6, Low round – 71); Mandy Wittmier (Top 10 finishes – Three; Average round – 80.2, Low round – 75); Sarah Salvatori (Top 10 finishes – One; Average round – 82.6, Low round – 77)

Returnees: Gracie Dyer (Jr., Tacoma, WA/Bellarmine Prep); Amanda Johnson (So., Milton, WA/Fife HS); Jennifer Liedes (Jr., Olympia, WA/Olympia HS, 1st team GNAC, Newcomer of the Year); Chloe Read (So., Edgewood, WA/Cascade Christian); Sarah Salvatori (Jr., Salem, OR/Sprague HS, 2nd team GNAC)

Freshman/Transfers: Kassidy Krug (Fr., Spokane, WA/Lewis & Clark HS); Lisa Zelasko (Fr., Tacoma, WA/Bellarmine Prep)

 

SIMON FRASER Clan

Head Coach: John Buchanan

Assistants: NA

Top 5 Finishes 2013-14: Two (Vikes Shootout – 5th; GNAC Championships – 4th)

2013-14 Top Performers: Nicky Jordan (Top 10 finishes – One; Average round – 83.1, Low round – 77); Erin Farner (Top 10 finishes – One; Average round – 85.5, Low round – 79)

Returnees: Erin Farner (So., Calgary, AB); Mackenzie Field (Jr., Christina Lake, BC/Grand Forks HS); Kristin Jorgensen (Jr., Prince George, BC/Prince George HS); Jennifer McTeer (Jr., Creston, BC/Prince Charles HS); Katie Milligen (So., Burnaby, BC); Rochelle Rezansoff (Sr., Surrey, BC/Earl Marriot HS)

Freshman/Transfers: Breanna Croxen (Fr., New Westminster, BC/St. Thomas More); Kylie Jack (Fr., Kelwna, BC/Aberdeen Hall Prep); Michelle Waters (Fr., Qualicum Beach, BC/ Kwalikum)

 

WESTERN WASHINGTON Vikings

Head Coach: Bo Stephan, Western Washington ’03, GNAC 2013-14 Coach of the Year

Assistants: NA

Top 5 Finishes 2013-14: Seven (Western New Mexico Invitational – 4th; Saint Martin’s Invitational – 3rd; Western Washington Invitational – 3rd; Sonoma State Women’s Fall Invitational – 4th; Tim Tierney Pioneer Shootout – 3rd; Doc Housewright Invitational – 4th; GNAC Championships – 1st)

2013-14 Top Performers: Kristen Hansen (Top 10 finishes – Seven; Average round – 78.6, Low round – 70); Anna Bourland (Top 10 finishes – One; Average round – 78.9, Low round – 73); Brooke Branigan (Top 10 finishes – One; Average round –81.0, Low round – 76)

Returnees: Anna Bourland (Sr., Bainbridge, WA/Bainbridge HS, 1st team GNAC); Brooke Branigan (So., Bellingham, WA/Bellingham HS, 1st team GNAC); Kristen Hansen (Jr., Spokane, WA/Mead HS, 1st team GNAC, Player of the Year); Emily Koryto (Jr., East Lansing, MI/East Lansing HS); Audrey Orem (So., Bellingham, WA/Bellingham HS, 2nd team GNAC)

Freshman/Transfers: Stephanie Cogswell (Fr., Kent, WA/Kentwood); Jenn Paul (Fr., Bellingham,WA/ Bellingham HS); Britney Thurber (Jr., Milton, WA/ Green River CC)
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