GPAC Championship #3

• PREVIEW
• RECAP/RESULTS

The Event... The Northwestern College men's golf team will compete in the third round of the GPAC Championship tomorrow afternoon in Lincoln, Neb. Teams will begin to tee off around 10:00am at Firethorn Golf Club, which is a par 71, 6786 yard course.  To view the official GPAC preview, click on the following link: GPAC Release | Scores Through Round Two

The Teams... All 13 GPAC schools had men’s golf at the beginning of the school year. Midland Lutheran was unable field a full squad at the second round of the event in the first semester.

At Stake... The GPAC will receive two automatic men's team bids in 2009-10 with all 13 league schools playing men's golf. The top two teams after the four rounds will receive the automatic berths.

Current Standings... Northwestern is alone in fourth place after two rounds with a 36-hole total of 637. The Red Raiders carded a 296 in round one and a 341 in the second round. They trail third place Dakota Wesleyan (632) by just five shots and are 12 shots in back of second place Nebraska Wesleyan. Morningside is the overall leader with a 605.

Luke Vermeer is in second place after two rounds with a 71/78-149 and trails the overall leader, Cam Jacobs (Morningside) by five shots. He holds a three-stroke lead over Brayden Nurse (Morningside)(152) and a four shot lead over Kyle Jaacks (NWU) and Dave Young (Mor) who both have a 153. Johnny Schwaller is the second Red Raider golfer and is tied for 18th with a two-round total of 163 (73/90). Michael Clark (76/89-165) is tied for 23rd  and Jon Roberts (76/93-169) is tied for 33rd.

Last Time Out... Northwestern placed third out of eight teams at the two-day, 36-hole Coyote Invitational played last week at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D. The Raiders carded a two-day total of 634, 10 shots in back of second place USD. Concordia Moorhead won  the team championship with a 613.

Luke Vermeer earned overall medalist honors with a two-day score of 148 (+4). After firing a  one-over 73 on day one, the senior from Sioux Center battled the elements and carded a 75 on day two. Michael Clark (Spencer, Iowa) tied for 18^th with  a 162 (75/87) and Johnny Schwaller (Coon Rapids, Iowa) tied for 20^th with a 163 (82/81).

Aaron Rozeboom (Sioux Center, Iowa) led the White team with a 164 and tied for 23rd place. Ross Kiewiet (Grundy Center, Iowa) placed 25th with a 165.

The Line-Up... Luke Vermeer, Michael Clark, Johnny Schwaller, Michael Dykema and either Jon Roberts, Ross Kiewiet or Aaron Rozeboom is the probable NWC line-up. Vermeer leads the Raiders with a 75 stroke average and five top five finishes. Dykema averages an 80.3 with a pair of top 10 finishes. Clark (81.2) and Kiewiet (81.3), followed by Schwaller (82.3) and Rozeboom (83.3) all rank from third to sixth. Roberts carries an 84.3 average. As a team, Northwestern averages a 317.

Up Next... Northwestern will next compete in the two-day, 36-hole Buena Vista Spring Invitational this Friday and Saturday, April 16-17.