GPAC Qualifier #1

• PREVIEW
• RECAP/RESULTS
• PHOTOS

The Event... The Northwestern College men's golf team will compete tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 6) in the first round of the GPAC Championships. Round one will take place at Wild Oak Golf Club in Mitchell, S.D. and will be hosted by Dakota Wesleyan. The Red Raiders will tee-off around 10:40 am.

The Format... The qualifying meets are a new format for the GPAC and the NAIA, who did away with all regional championships that determined the national qualifiers. Instead, two 18-hole qualifiers will be held in the fall and two more will be held in the spring, and the total scores from all four meets will be used to determine the GPAC Champion and All-Conference teams, and the champion will also earn an automatic berth to the NAIA National Championships.

The Tournament Field... 11 teams comprise the GPAC men's golf championship field, including defending champion Dakota Wesleyan and 2007 regional champion, Midland Lutheran. Other teams to compete are: Briar Cliff, Concordia, Doane, Dordt, Hastings, Morningside, Nebraska Wesleyan, Northwestern and USF.

Last Year... Northwestern finished ninth at the 2008 GPAC Championships with a 639, nine shots in back of eighth place Morningside. DWU won the team championship with a 602 and Nebraska Wesleyan and Dordt tied for second with a 613. Hastings and Midland Lutheran placed fourth and fifth with a 617 and 619, respectively.

Individually, Luke Vermeer earned medalist honors with an even-par 144, one shot better than Chris Rager of Morningside. Vermeer, who was named GPAC Golfer-of-the-Year, went two-under in the first round and followed with a 74 in the second 18.

Red Raider Notes and Line-up... Coach Bloemendaal's lineup will feature Vermeer, Justin Pannkuk, Jon Roberts, Kyle McGranahan and Jamie Jeltema. In two meets this season, Pannkuk leads NWC with a 72.5 average and two top five finishes. The senior tied for second at the Red Raider Open and third at yesterday's BV Fall Invite. Vermeer carries a 73.5 average into the GPAC Championships with one first place finish at the Red Raider Open. Roberts ranks third on the team with a 74.0 average and has a pair of top 10 finishes this season. McGranahan (84) and Jeltema (85) round out the line-up for NWC.

Next up... The Red Raiders will host an alumni event on Sept. 13 at Landsmeer Golf Club followed by the second round of the GPAC Championships, hosted by Doane College on Sept. 18.

Click on the following link to view the official GPAC release: GPAC Championship.