UMAC Golf Championships to tee off on Friday
10/2/2008 9:19:31 AM
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ST. PAUL (Oct. 2, 2008) – Alexandria Golf Club in Alexandria, Minn. awaits seven men’s teams and five women’s teams from Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) schools that will compete for their respective conference championship this Friday and Saturday.
Bethany Lutheran College’s men’s team has played their best golf as of late, scoring a 320 in their last two meets. Last year’s conference champions are led by Mitch Koepp, who has won medalist honors twice while finishing in the Top 5 in five of the team’s six events.
Crown College returns three players from the 2007 UMAC runner-up squad. Earning first and second place in two of their five meets this season, Crown is led by Josh Ottoson, who has posted three scores of 80 or less.
Northwestern College returns only two golfers from last year’s squad that took third place in the UMAC Championship. Team captain and two-time all-conference golfer Nick Olson has won medalist honors twice this season.
Freshman Ethan Wessel has given Martin Luther College a huge boost this year, as the Knights have won their last six meets. Wessel dominated the field in the Bethany Lutheran Invitational (Le Sueur Country Club) on Sept. 12, shooting even par (70) en route to being awarded medalist honors.
The University of Minnesota, Morris is looking to improve on their fifth place showing at last year’s UMAC Championship. David Katz has the team’s low round of the 2008, as he shot a 78 in the Bethany Lutheran Invitational. Katz, a freshman, has been a medalist once this year.
Four players on Presentation College’s roster have been the Saints’ clubhouse leader in one of the team’s six meets this season, making for a well-rounded squad. The downside for Head Coach Matt Sevareid is that Presentation’s best individual score in any meet this season was an 84.
For the first time, North Central University will be joining the UMAC men’s ranks as an associate member. The Rams are led by Dean Goodwin, who was voted as the league’s Men’s Golfer of the Week in September. North Central posted a year-low score of 345 at a dual meet with Concordia-St. Paul.
2008 will be the first year that the UMAC hosts a women’s golf conference championship. Not enough full teams have participated in the event in years past, making it an invitational-style tournament.
Northwestern’s women, who won the 2007 conference championship, are led by Jamee Bohlen and Kristina Siemens. Bohlen carded a 90-93-183 at last year’s UMAC finale, while Siemens, a freshman, won medalist honors in her last tournament with an 87.
Bethany Lutheran’s women have won two of their meets this year. Abigail Lecy, who claimed medalist honors in last year’s conference championship, has posted four Top 5 finishes in 2008. Kelsey Schlicker returns to the course after being the runner-up in last year’s tournament.
Ashley Watson and Emma Schlosser have paced Minnesota, Morris this year. Watsons’ season low is a 94 (UMAC Preview Tournament), while Schlosser came in with a 95 in the same tournament.
Presentation has placed in the Top 3 in four of the team’s meets this season. The Saints are led by Hannah Heidelberger, who has averaged 105 strokes per meet.
Martin Luther’s women’s team has only played in one meet as a complete squad in 2008. Amanda Selle carded a 102 in that meet, while Joanna Kramer finished with a 111.
Built in 1956, Alexandria Golf Club is a private golf course that features large trees, tight fairways and a thick rough. On Friday and Saturday, the men will be playing on a 6,504-yard course, while the women will play a full 5,800 yards.
Tee times for Friday’s action will begin at 11 a.m., while Saturday’s second rounds will begin at 10 a.m.