GPAC Championship #3

• PREVIEW
• RECAP/RESULTS

The Event... The Northwestern College women's golf team is set to play in the third round of the GPAC Qualifier Championship tomorrow (April 10) at the River Wilds Golf Club in Blair, Neb. The Red Raiders are set to tee off around 10:40am and will done midafternoon. GPAC Release |

Teams... 11 of the 13 GPAC schools are competing in the event, including Northwestern, Briar Cliff, Concordia, Dakota Wesleyan, Dana, Doane, Hastings, Morningside, Mount Marty, Nebraska Wesleyan and U. of Sioux Falls.

The Format...This year marks the second year the league is using four separate 18 hole qualifying events to determine the league golf champion and medalist. The four qualifiers will total 72 holes and will be spread evenly over the fall and spring seasons. The GPAC will receive only one automatic women's team bid in 2009-2010 with 11 league schools playing women's golf.

The fourth and final round will be hosted by Briar Cliff  on May 6 at the Two Rivers Golf Club in Sioux City, Iowa.

Red Raider Line-Up... The probable line-up for Northwestern will be: Maggie Achterhof, Rachelle Pedersen, Andria Hinz, Sara Horn and Anne Eberline.

Second Round Results... Northwestern is in seventh place out of 11 teams heading into Saturday's third round. The Red Raiders shot a 344 in the first round (T3rd) but dropped four spots back with a 357 in the second round. Their two-round, 36-hole total of 701 trails sixth place Briar Cliff by three (698). Three teams, Hastings (690), Dana (691) and Morningside (692) are all within three shots and hold down third-fifth place. Defending champion Dakota Wesleyan (631) has a big 19 stroke advantage over second place and 2009 national qualifier USF (650).

Individually, junior Maggie Achterhof is the top Red Raider and is tied for 12th after two rounds with a 167 (77/90). Sophomore Andria Hinz is tied for 20th place with a two-round total of 176 (89/87). Junior Sara Horn stands alone in 23rd place with a 179 and Anne Eberline is 28th with a 185. Rachelle Pedersen carded a 90 in the second round after missing the first round. Two Dakota Wesleyan golfers, Danielle Bellet and Kelli Baseley, are first and second respectively with a two-round score of 148 and 154. Micaela Carew (BCU) and Sarah Gilbert (USF) are tied for third with a 156.

Last Time Out... The Northwestern College women's golf team made its spring season debut on April 1 as the Raiders tied for third in the six-team Morningside Invitational held at Whispering Creek Golf Club in Sioux City, Iowa. Northwestern carded a 369, along with Dana, to place third behind team champion Dakota Wesleyan (329) and Iowa Western Community College (350).

Coach Hoftyzer's squad was led by junior Maggie Achterhof and senior Rachelle Pedersen who tied for eighth with a 14-over 86. Both players shot a 42 on the front nine followed by a 44 on the back. Caitlyn DeCock tied for 23rd with a 96 and Sara Horn tied for 27th with a 98. Andria Hinz (99), Anne Eberline (100) and Leigh Van Hove (103) round out the scores for Northwestern.

By the Numbers... Northwestern carries a 352.7 stroke average into this weekend and have placed in the top five in six events and in the top 10 in all nine of the rounds they have played. Maggie Achterhof leads coach Hoftyzer's squad with an 81.7 average and three top-five finishes. Rachelle Pedersen ranks second on the team with an 87.3 average and two top 10 finishes in the four events she competed in. Andria Hinz  carries an 89.1 average with a pair of top 10 finishes while Anne Eberline (92) and Sara Horn (93.4) are the other top golfers.

Up Next... Northwestern will next host the Lady Raider Invite on April 20, beginning at noon, at Landsmeer Golf Club. The final round of the GPAC Qualifier Championship will be on Thursday, May 6 at Two Rivers Golf Club in Sioux City.