SEWARD, Neb. – Rounds three and four of the 2021-22 GPAC Women’s Golf Championship will tee off next week as the Concordia University Women’s Golf team joins the rest of the conference at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb. Action is scheduled to get underway at 10 a.m. CT both Monday and Tuesday (April 25-26) in Norfolk. Following the two conference rounds in the fall, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad resides in seventh place out of the 12 GPAC teams.
2022 GPAC Women’s Golf Championship
April 25-26 | Norfolk CC (Norfolk, Neb.) | 10 a.m. (both days)
--Live Scoring: https://www.golfgenius.com/ (GGID = 2122WGPAC)
--GPAC Women’s Golf webpage
By the numbers
· Over the first two rounds of GPAC golf (Oct. 4-5) in Vermillion, S.D., the Bulldogs shot a team total of 351-353–704. That score puts Concordia behind Morningside (304-308–612), Dakota Wesleyan (343-323–666), Briar Cliff (339-341–680), Dordt (348-336–684), Jamestown (342-348–690) and Mount Marty (348-343–691). Under Muller, Concordia placed third in the GPAC in both 2019-20 and 2020-21. Behind star Kendra Placke, the ’20-21 team carded a four-round total of 368-359-327-339–1,393).
· Entering the spring portion of the conference tournament, Placke sits in fifth place (80-74–154) and is four strokes behind GPAC leader Sofia Castelan of Morningside. Placke hopes to make a run at an individual conference championship, a feat accomplished only once in program history. The 2016-17 GPAC Golfer of the Year, Amy Ahlers took home the GPAC title that season while shooting 83-76-77-83–319 (final two rounds in Columbus, Neb.). In her previous three seasons, Placke has turned in GPAC place finishes of fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.
· Next in line after Placke on this season’s GPAC leaderboard are Lauren Havlat (86-87–173; T-21st), Logan Eschliman (93-90–183; 41st), Mya Nurse (92-102–194; 48th) and Emily Jensen (97-102–199; 51st). The Bulldogs lost two all-conference performers from the 2020-21 lineup in the form of Mia Martin (80-81–161 in the spring) and Andrea Peterson (93-86-82-82–343; 13th). Last season, Eschliman (93-96-91-100–380; 31st) and Havlat (110-95-89-95–389; T-36th) also qualified for the overall GPAC leaderboard.
· Seven Bulldogs have seen regular action throughout the 2021-22 campaign. Those competitors, in order of lowest season scoring average, are: Placke (79.6), Havalat (89.2), Nurse (90.5), Eschliman (94.4), Jensen (96.0), Sarah Wilson (100.1) and Ashley Gerczysnki (101.9). Placke has placed inside the top 10 of all nine events, including three tournament titles. Placke has been named the GPAC Golfer of the Week in two-straight weeks after winning the Concordia Bulldog Invite and the Hastings Invite. Havlat and Nurse also own one top 10 tournament placement apiece.
NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship
National qualifiers that come out of the conference championships will continue their seasons with the 2022 NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship set to be played in Oklahoma City, Okla., May 24-27. For more information on the national tournament, click HERE.