Wednesday, April 5, 2023

PORTLAND, Ore. – Simon Fraser showed that it could be the team to beat at the GNAC Championships by winning the San Marcos Shootout in Temecula, California to close out the team’s regular season schedule.

 The Red Leafs finished two strokes ahead of No. 13 Point Loma with a two-round score of 610. They were 26 strokes clear of their GNAC competition, Northwest Nazarene and Saint Martin’s, who finished in a tie for seventh.

The freshmen continue to lead the way on the course. Northwest Nazarene’s Elle McCord was named the GNAC Women’s Golf Player of the Week after leading all conference golfers in Temecula. McCord has proved to be the leading golfer for the Nighthawks finishing in the top 10 of their past three tournaments in preparation for the GNAC Championships.

Simon Fraser freshman Sueah Park will be another one to watch as the conference heads to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho for the GNAC Championships. Park has led the Red Leafs in every tournament she has competed in for her debut campaign, capping off her first regular season with a fourth-place finish at the San Marcos Shootout with a two-round score of 6-over-par 150.

The GNAC Championships will take place at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Course in Coeur d’Alene Idaho on April 24 and 25. The GNAC Championships have been held in Coeur d’Alene in all but one year since 2011.

PREVIOUS  TOURNAMENTS

San Marcos Shootout (March 27-28, at Temecula Creek Inn, Temecula, Calif.) Team – 1, Simon Fraser, 610. T-7, Northwest Nazarene, 636. T-7, Saint Martin’s, 636. Individual – 1, Alli Kim, Point Loma, 146. 3, Elle McCord, Northwest Nazarene, 149. 4, Sueah Park, Simon Fraser, 150. T-7, Meera Minhas, Simon Fraser, 153. T-13, Shirin Anjarwalla, Simon Fraser, 155. Natasha Kozlowski, Simon Fraser, 156.

RJGA Palm Valley Classic (March 31-April 1, at Palm Valley Golf Club, Goodyear, Ariz.) Team – 1, Colorado Christian, 586. 17, Northwest Nazarene, 628. 21, Saint Martin’s, 637. 23, Montana State Billings, 673. Individual – 1, Sofia Benavides, Oklahoma Christian, 143. T-9, Elle McCord, Northwest Nazarene, 148. T-61, Kelsie Inouye, Saint Martin’s, 156. T-65, Hannah White, Saint Martin’s, 157. T-83, Paige Vancil, Northwest Nazarene, 160. T-91, Ashley Bruland, Saint Martin’s, 162. T-91, Christine Cho, Northwest Nazarene, 162. T-91, Madison Gridley, Northwest Nazarene, 162.  

SSU Women’s Spring Invite (April 3-4, at Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club, Santa Rosa, Calif.) Team – 1, Sonoma State, 614. 6, Northwest Nazarene, 630. 7, Western Washington, 638. Individual – 1, Taylor Stewart, Chico State, 145. 4, Elle McCord, Northwest Nazarene, 150. T-5, Madison Gridley, Northwest Nazarene, 152. T-14, Megan Billeter, Western Washington, 157. T-22, Emma Worgum, Western Washington, 159. T-27, Dani Bailey, Western Washington, 160.

AROUND THE GNAC

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS

• Montana State Billings was one of two GNAC teams that did not compete at the San Marcos Shootout, instead taking to the course at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic in Goodyear, Arizona. The Yellowjackets finished 23rd in the tournament with a two-round score of 673.

• The Yellowjackets were led by junior Brennan Larson and freshman Aubree Mitchum, who both carded a two-round score of 167 to finish in a tie for 103rd. Mitchum recorded the lowest round between the pair, shooting an 82 on the second day of the tournament.

• Freshman Haylee Adams finished one stroke behind Larson and Mitchum with a score of 168 to finish in a tie for 107th. Sophomore Adessa Lundberg rounded out the scoring effort for MSUB in 116th with a score of 176.

• With the regular season schedule wrapped, Montana State Billings will turn its attention to the GNAC Championships which will be held in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course on April 24 & 25.

NORTHWEST NAZARENE

• Northwest Nazarene was the only GNAC team to play in the San Marcos Shootout, the RJGA Palm Valley Classic and the SSU Women’s Spring Invite. The Nighthawks tied for seventh at the San Marcos Shootout with a score of 636. They followed that up with a 17th-place finish to lead all conference teams at the Palm Valley Classic with a score of 628. Finally, NNU finished sixth at the SSU Women’s Spring Invite on Monday and Tuesday with a score of 630 to lead the conference once again.

• Freshman Elle McCord was named the GNAC Women’s Golf Player of the Week after leading all conference golfers at the SSU Women’s Spring Invite in fourth place with a two-round score of 6-over-par 150. McCord was the leading golfer for NNU at all three tournaments. She finished in third at the San Marcos Shootout with a score of 149 and was tied for ninth at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic with a score of 148.

• At the San Marcos Shootout, McCord was joined in scoring for NNU by junior Madison Gridley in a tie for 36th with a score of 161, sophomore Christine Cho in a tied for 39th with a score of 162 and sophomore Paige Vancil in a tie for 47th with a two-round score of 166.

• It was McCord (Tie-9, 148), Vancil (Tie-83,160), Cho (Tie-91, 162) and Gridley (Tie-91, 162) leading the scoring effort for Northwest Nazarene at the Palm Valley Classic as well. At the SSU Spring Invite, McCord finished five strokes back from winner Taylor Stewart of Chico State. Gridley made it two NNU golfers in the top five with a score of 152 to tie for fifth.

• Northwest Nazarene will join the majority of teams in taking time off to prepare for the GNAC Championships in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on April 24 and 25.

SAINT MARTIN’S

• Saint Martin’s finished in a tie for seventh with Northwest Nazarene at the San Marcos Shootout in Temecula, California on March 27 and 28 with a score of 636 before finishing in 21st with a score of 637 at the RJGA Palm Valley Classic in Goodyear, Arizona on March 31 and April 1.

• The Saints placed three golfers in the top 25 in Temecula, led by senior Jada French and freshman Kelsie Inouye in a tie for 20th with two-day scores of 157. Inouye recorded the lowest round of the tournament for SMU, shooting a 76 on the first day. Freshman Ashley Bruland and senior Kathryn Crimp rouned out scoring in ties for 25th and 42nd, respectively.

• In Arizona, Inouye led the way once again, pacing the Saints in a tie for 61st with a two-round score of 156. Sophomore Hannah White finished just one stroke behind Inouye with a score of 157 in a tie for 65th. Bruland and French also scored for SMU in ties for 91st and 99th.

• Saint Martin’s is the only team set to compete again before the GNAC Championships, hosting Pacific Lutheran for a dual match on Saturday.

SIMON FRASER

• Simon was the tournament champion at the San Marcos Shootout in Temecula, California. The Red Leafs won the tournament with a two-round score of 610 and finished two strokes ahead of second-place Point Loma. Their GNAC competition was tied for seventh as both Northwest Nazarene and Saint Martin’s finished with scores of 636.

• Freshman Sueah Park led Simon Fraser for the third consecutive tournament, carding a two-round score of 6-over-par 150 to take fourth place. Park was just one stroke behind Northwest Nazarene’s Elle McCord in third and four strokes back from individual champion Alli Kim from Point Loma. Park opened the tournament with SFU’s lowest round of the weekend, shooting a 73 on the first day. The result is her second top-five finish in three events.

• Meera Minhas made it two Simon Fraser freshmen in the top 10 with a two-round score of 9-over-par 153 to finish in a tie for 7th, just three strokes back from Park. Junior Natasha Kozlowski wasn’t far behind, carding a score of 155 to tie for 13th. Junior Shirin Anjarwalla rounded out the winning effort for the Red Leafs in a tie for 15th with a score of 156 in a tie for 15th.

• Simon Fraser will look to continue its winning form as it heads into the GNAC Championships in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on April 24 and 25.

WESTERN WASHINGTON

• Western Washington took a seventh-place finish at the SSU Women’s Spring Invite on Monday and Tuesday in Santa Rosa, California. The Vikings finished with a two-day score of 638. They were eight strokes back from sixth-place Northwest Nazarene and seven strokes ahead of eighth-place Vanguard.

• The Vikings placed all four scoring golfers in the top 30, led by senior Megan Billeter in a tie for 14th with a score of 157. Billeter put together her best round of the tournament on the final day, shooting a 76 to secure her position in the top 15. Freshman Emma Worgum was just two strokes behind Billeter in a tie for 22nd after carding a two-round score of 159.

• Junior Dani Bailey finished the tournament in a tie for 27th after shooting 80 on both days to card a two-round score of 160. Freshman Kasey Maralack rounded out scoring for Western Washington in a tie for 30th and a two-day score of 162.

• Western Washington will have a break in the action before joining the rest of the conference at the GNAC Championships in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on April 24 and 25.