2022-23 Men's Golf Placed 5th in the GPAC (296-307-296–899) | Season Stats
FALL Date Event Location Result Aug. 25-26 Mount Marty University Invite Fox Run GC | Yankton, S.D. Results Aug. 29-30 UC Ferguson Classic Lincoln Park GC West Course | Oklahoma City, Okla. 10 of 18 Sept. 6-7 Blue River Invite Highlands GC | Lincoln, Neb. 5 of 12 Sept. 12-13 Siouxland Invite The Ridge (Sioux Center)/Landsmeer (Orange City) 4 of 15 Sept. 30-Oct. 1 Nebraska Intercollegiate Norfolk CC | Norfolk, Neb. 5 of 11 Oct. 4 Doane JV Invitational York CC | York, Neb. Results SPRING Date Event Location Time/Result March 24-25 Doane Spring Invite Woodland Hills (Eagle)/Highlands GC (Lincoln) 2 of 15 April 1-2 Bethel College Spring Inivite Hesston GP (Hesston)/Sand Creek Station (Newton, Kan.) 6 of 11 April 5 Doane JV Tournament Mahoney GC | Lincoln, Neb. 1 of 4 Apri 10-11 KWU - Midwest Spring Invite Colbert Hills | Manhattan, Kan. 8 of 11 April 15 Bulldog-Tiger Cup York CC | York, Neb. W, 10-8 April 16-17 Nebraska Wesleyan Invite Hillcrest CC | Lincoln, Neb. 5 of 10 April 24-25 GPAC Men's Golf Championships The Bluffs GC | Vermillion, S.D. 5 of 11
2022-23 Men's Golf Roster Name Year Hometown Previous School Tyler Bartels Jr. Tecumseh, Neb. Johnson County HS Gavin Buttshaw So. Aurora, Colo. Cherokee Trail HS Drew D'Ercole Jr. Papillion, Neb. Papillion LaVista South HS Josh D'Ercole So. Papillion, Neb. Papillion LaVista South HS Jaxson Fullerton So. Omaha, Neb. Omaha Central HS Jake Hagerbaumer So. Hooper, Neb. Logan View HS Taylor Johnson Jr. Council Bluffs, Iowa Lewis Central HS Gavin McWhorter Jr. Loveland, Colo. Mountain View HS Jacob Richmond Fr. Elkhorn, Neb. Yutan HS Brock Rogers Fr. Tekameh, Neb. Tekamah-Herman HS Jonas Sommerville Fr. McCook, Neb. McCook HS Justin Webert So. Lincoln, Neb. Lincoln Southwest HS Jacob Woodmancy Jr. Grant, Neb. Perkins County HS Ivan Yabut Jr. Omaha, Neb. Burke HS
STAFF
Brett Muller, Head Coach (12th Year)
Kaitlyn Howe, Graduate Assistant Coach
Season Preview: 2022-23 Concordia Men's Golf Aug. 20, 2022
Head Coach: Brett Muller (12th year)2021-22 GPAC Finish: 6th (298-308-313–919)Key Returners: Drew D’Ercole; Jake Hagerbaumer; Gavin McWhorter; Justin Webert; Jacob Woodmancy; Ivan Yabut.Key Loss: Jack Williams.2021-22 GPAC All-Conference:
Outlook
The roster shapes up nicely for a Concordia University Men’s Golf program that broke the school record for season scoring average in 2021-22 and brings back all five golfers who played at this past spring’s GPAC Championships. At the top of the lineup, Ivan Yabut and Drew D’Ercole aspire to compete with the very best of the GPAC. In team qualifying rounds this preseason, Yabut has played at a level that would put him in the running for an individual conference championship.
In other words, Brett Muller has high expectations as he enters his 12th season as head coach. The Bulldogs placed sixth in the GPAC last season, but they know the pieces are in place for a potential move up the ladder.
Says Muller, “Of the five guys who competed at the GPAC Championship, all five are back. We were able to bring in a couple really solid freshmen that are making a push and the returners have done a great job of improving and putting in the time over the summer. Looking at our qualifying rounds, this is the deepest team we’ve had on the men’s side. That’s only going to help us down the road. I think our practices are going to be much more competitive because every day guys are going to be competing for spots in the top five.”
Members of the team arrived on campus a week prior to the start of classes for a series of qualifying rounds that will help determine who competes at the season’s first tournaments. In addition to D’Ercole and Yabut, the likes of Jake Hagerbaumer, Justin Webert and Jacob Woodmancy also played at the 2022 spring GPAC Championships. Both Hagerbaumer and Webert came onto the scene as freshmen in 2021-22 and gave the Bulldogs a lift. This year’s class of freshmen includes Jake Richmond, Brock Rogers and Jonas Sommerville.
Muller would love to see everyone improve the way that the Burke High School alum Yabut did from 2020-21 to 2021-22 when he shaved his scoring average down from 80.0 to 74.9. Last September, Yabut found a groove while shooting a school record single round with a seven-under-par 65 at the Siouxland Invite. Yabut went on to record the best ever GPAC finish by a Concordia men’s golfer when he placed fifth in the conference.
“Ivan’s a guy who makes quite a few birdies,” Muller said. “For him it’s about staying away from the double bogeys and worse. He’s had a great fall qualifying – I think he’s averaging about six birdies a round. All four of his rounds have been in the 60s. He has big aspirations for this year and has his eye on winning the conference as an individual.”
If Yabut does happen to have an off round, he has teammates who can help pick up the slack. Drew D’Ercole has earned two Honorable Mention All-GPAC awards in his career and placed inside the top 10 of three tournaments last season. The top five returners each averaged scores in the 70s last season: Yabut (74.9), D’Ercole (75.8), Webert (77.1), Hagerbaumer (78.7) and Woodmancy (79.9). With that kind of depth, Yabut believes this team can crush the 2021-22 team’s school record scoring average of 305.1
“I feel like we have a really solid team this year, one through five and six through 10,” Yabut said. “I feel like we can shatter the average scoring record again. Hopefully we can win a tournament as a team and win the conference tournament and go to nationals.”
Added Yabut the friendly rivalry with D’Ercole at the top of the lineup, “It makes me work harder and I’m sure I make him work harder as well. I feel like we have a healthy relationship where we want to push each other and want each other to do their best.”
The fall slate includes a total of five tournaments. Muller will hold back his top five from the Mount Marty Invite coming up Aug. 25-26. The ‘A’ grouping will get the season started at the UC Ferguson Classic on Aug. 29-30. Concordia will also host the Blue River Invite on Sept. 6-7 and will welcome alumni to Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb., on Sept. 10. Says Muller of the alumni event, “It’s a great way to connect our current roster with some of the alumni. I think it will be a really fun day at Highlands.”
As a change from previous years, the entirety of the GPAC Men’s Golf Championship will be played in the spring (instead of being split between the fall and spring). Fifty-four holes of conference championship action will be contested at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb., April 24-25, 2023.
Richmond shoots 69 as Bulldogs break team school record for single round Aug. 29, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf team has opened the 2022-23 season in sterling fashion. Behind a two-under-par 69 from freshman Jake Richmond on Monday (Aug. 29), the Bulldogs broke a program record for lowest single-round team score. They shot a 283 (one-under-par) while navigating Lincoln Park West Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Okla., where 15 institutions are taking part in the U.C. Ferguson Classic.
Originally scheduled as a 54-hole event, the U.C. Ferguson Classic has been condensed to 36 holes due to delays caused by lightning on Monday. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad resides in 11th place out of 18 groupings at the tournament that will wrap up on Tuesday.
The contributors to the school record round were Richmond (69; T-8th), Ivan Yabut (71; T-33rd), Drew D’Ercole (71; T-33rd) and Justin Webert (72; T-52nd). In addition, Jake Hagerbaumer (76; T-80th) is competing as part of the five-man lineup while Gavin McWhorter (80; T-88th) and Josh D’Ercole (81; T-94th) are representing the Bulldogs as individuals. Richmond currently resides in the top 10 in a field that includes 102 golfers. The freshman from Elkhorn, Neb., has made an immediate splash after earning two state medalist awards during his prep career at Yutan High School.
The previous school record for a single round had been 288 achieved by both the 2016-17 and 2017-18 squads. Russell Otten, Tylar Samek and Nolan Zikas were each a part of both former record-setting outings. The school record for a 36-hole event is 583, a feat accomplished by the 2017-18 and 2021-22 squads.
A group of junior varsity Bulldogs got things going last week at the Mount Marty Fall Invite (Aug. 25-26). The top individual Concordia player there was Jacob Woodmancy, who shot 74-82–156. The complete results from the Mount Marty Invite can be found HERE .
Round two of the UC Ferguson Classic had begun by the time inclement weather reached Oklahoma City. Between the seven Bulldog golfers in the field, 14-16 holes of action are left to be played. Golf will resume at 8 a.m. CT on Tuesday from Lincoln Park West Golf Course. Live results are available via Golf Stat .
Record-breaking week continues as Concordia shoots two-round 567 at UC Ferguson Aug. 30, 2022
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – Two program records fell over the past two days as the Concordia University Men’s Golf team officially got the 2022-23 season started at the U.C. Ferguson Classic. The Bulldogs reset school standards for lowest single-round score (283) and lowest two-round tournament score (283-284–567) while playing Lincoln Park West Golf Course in Oklahoma City, Okla. Led by Drew D’Ercole, Concordia placed 10th out of a strong 18-team field in action on Monday-Tuesday (Aug. 29-30).
Head Coach Brett Muller expects to have the most complete lineup he’s fielded in 12 seasons leading Bulldog Men’s Golf. All-conference performers Drew D’Ercole and Ivan Yabut will be pushed by the young up-and-comers on the roster.
“Coming out of fall qualifying, bringing guys in a week early and playing 99 holes of qualifying, we knew we had the capabilities to shoot scores like we did the last two days,” Muller said. “It was really good to take that from qualifying and play really well the first tournament out of the year. I was very impressed with Jake Richmond. He gave us a lift with a 69 in his first collegiate action. Drew lipped out on his 36th hole otherwise he would have tied the school record for lowest 36-hole individual score. There’s a lot to be excited about.”
The previous school standard for a two-round tournament score had been 583 accomplished by the 2017-18 and 2021-22 teams. That record was shattered as both D’Ercole (68 on Tuesday) and freshman Jake Richmond (69 on Monday) cracked the 60s in one of their two rounds. The most veteran golfer on the roster, D’Ercole led the way overall by shooting a two-round total of 71-68–139 for a three-under-par. He placed in a tie for 23rd out of 102 golfers in the UC Ferguson field. Each of them navigated the par 71 course that measured 6,576 yards.
A two-time state medalist at Yutan High School, Richmond put together a fine first collegiate tournament while shooting 69-73–142, good for a tie for 36th overall. The rest of the lineup featured Justin Webert (72-71–143; T-43rd), Ivan Yabut (71-72–143; T-43rd) and Jake Hagerbaumer (76-75–151; T-77th). Two Bulldogs competed as individuals: Gavin McWhorter (80-74–154; T-84th) and Josh D’Ercole (81-77–158; T-91st).
The team’s top golfer last season, Yabut averaged a score of 74.9 throughout 2021-22. He was joined in last spring’s GPAC championship lineup by the likes of Drew D’Ercole, Hagerbaumer and Webert. Yabut remains the school record holder for lowest single-round individual score with his seven-under-par 65 from last fall.
Bellevue University and Oklahoma City University tied at the top of the team leaderboard with identical scores of 542. The Bulldogs saw a field of players and teams they wouldn’t normally go up against. Said Muller, “That was one of the draws of coming down to this tournament. There were a lot of teams receiving votes nationally and teams we wouldn’t typically see in our normal regular season schedule.”
The Bulldogs will be at their home course next time out as they get set to co-host the Blue River Classic on Sept. 6-7. The event will feature 36 holes on day one followed by 18 holes on day two with all three rounds taking place at Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln. Doane will serve as the co-host of the annual event. Concordia placed sixth out of 19 teams at the 2021 Blue River Classic.
Tournament Preview: 2022 Blue River Classic Sept. 5, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Action at the annual Blue River Classic will run Tuesday and Wednesday from Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb., home to the Concordia University Golf programs. The Blue River Classic men’s golf tournament will feature a total of 78 golfers from nine institutions. In a change to the previous years’ formats, the event will include 54 holes, 36 on Tuesday and 18 on Wednesday. The tournament is being co-hosted by Concordia and Doane. Live scoring will be provided through the Golf Genius app (information below).
2022 Blue River Classic Golf Genius (GGID = 2022BLUERIVER)
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad will expect to go low on its home course and may even challenge the program records it broke last week in Oklahoma City. At the UC Ferguson Classic, the Bulldogs set new school standards for an 18-hole team score and 36-hole team score while shooting 283-284–567. Concordia placed 10th out of 18 teams in the field and beat out GPAC rivals Northwestern (12th), Dordt (13th), Briar Cliff (15th) and Dakota Wesleyan (16th). The Bulldogs finished 11 strokes off conference powerhouse Morningside (281-275–556) and placed above Sterling College (Kan.), which is receiving votes in the NAIA coaches’ poll.
Drew D’Ercole led the way overall by shooting a two-round total of 71-68–139 for a three-under-par. He placed in a tie for 23rd out of 102 golfers in the UC Ferguson field. A two-time state medalist at Yutan High School, freshman Jake Richmond put together a fine first collegiate tournament while shooting 69-73–142, good for a tie for 36th overall. The rest of the lineup featured Justin Webert (72-71–143; T-43rd), Ivan Yabut (71-72–143; T-43rd) and Jake Hagerbaumer (76-75–151; T-77th). Two Bulldogs competed as individuals: Gavin McWhorter (80-74–154; T-84th) and Josh D’Ercole (81-77–158; T-91st). Yabut was the team’s No. 1 golfer last year and placed fifth in the GPAC.
Muller will enter two groupings into the Blue River Classic while showcasing the team’s depth. Seven Bulldogs also competed at the Mount Marty Fall Invite (Aug. 25-26) in what was considered a junior varsity event for Concordia. The team’s top competitor at Mount Marty was Jacob Woodmancy, who shot 74-82–156.
Following the Blue River Classic, the Bulldog men’s golf team will have two remaining events this fall: the Siouxland Invite (Sept. 12-13) and the Nebraska Intercollegiate (Sept. 30-Oct. 1).
Woodmancy shines in highlighting first day of Blue River Classic Sept. 6, 2022
SEWARD, Neb. – Hot and sunny conditions greeted the field of 75 golfers who competed on Tuesday (Sept. 6), which marked the first of two days at the Blue River Classic, co-hosted by the Concordia University Men’s Golf program and Doane. For the Bulldogs, Jacob Woodmancy shined the brightest in turning in two rounds below par on the home course, Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. The tournament features 54 holes with 36 of them now in the books.
Head Coach Bret Muller entered two teams into a field that includes 12 groupings. The Concordia ‘A’ team resides in sixth place on the Blue River leaderboard with a two-round score of 296-290 – 586. Meanwhile, the ‘B’ group is close behind in sixth place with a score of 304-294–598.
Woodmancy outperformed all other Bulldogs with his score of 68-71–139 (five-under-par). The Gretna, Neb., native stands in fourth place overall, three strokes behind tournament co-leaders Jason Kolbas and Cooper Hanson, both of Iowa Western Community College. Woodmancy’s 68 in round one represented a career low. Also inside the top 10 individually, Concordia’s Drew D’Ercole shot an even-par 74-70–144 on Tuesday. Below is a listing of all individual scores by Bulldogs through 36 holes of action.
From a team perspective, Concordia still has a realistic shot of finishing as high as second place. The teams above the Bulldogs currently are Iowa Western (276-279–555), Hastings (294-285–579), Doane (291-291–582) and Northwestern (291-292–583).
Live results are being tracked through Golf Genius (which offers a mobile app). The Golf Genius ID for the Blue River Classic is 2022BLUERIVER.
Concordia individual scores – Blue River Classic (Sept. 6)
Jacob Woodmancy: 68-71–139 (4th)
Drew D’Ercole: 74-70–144 (T-10th)
Jake Richmond: 74-73–147 (T-20th)
Jake Hagerbaumer: 75-73–148 (T-22nd)
Ivan Yabut: 75-74–149 (T-25th)
Brock Rogers: 76-73–149 (T-25th)
Gavin McWhorter: 78-75–153 (T-35th)
Gavin Buttshaw: 77-78–155 (T-38th)
Justin Webert: 73-84–157 (T-47th)
Josh D’Ercole: 82-75–157 (T-47th)
Tyler Bartels: 81-76–157 (T-47th)
Taylor Johnson: 83-78–161 (61st)
Jaxson Fullerton: 83-80–163 (T-64th)
Jonas Sommerville: 90-79–169 (69th)
Bulldogs place fifth at Blue River Classic, Woody wins individual medal Sept. 7, 2022
LINCOLN, Neb. – While shooting a solid team score of 288 in the third and final round of the 2022 Blue River Classic on Wednesday (Sept. 7), the Concordia University Men’s Golf ‘A’ team remained in fifth place overall. The Bulldogs co-hosted the tournament along with Doane and welcomed 75 golfers from nine institutions to Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. Individually, Grant, Neb., native Jacob Woodmancy put together the finest tournament of his career and earned a fifth-place medal.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s top grouping shot a 54-hole score of 296-290-288–874 on its home course. In addition, the Concordia ‘B’ team, led by Woodmancy, shot a 304-294-296–894 and placed sixth. Fourteen individuals represented the Bulldogs at the event.
“We had some very good GPAC schools here at our home invite,” Muller said. “We’re seeing how much it matters to finish a round and how that can really affect the standings. With about four holes left, we were seven-under-par as a team, in fourth place at the time and just two shots out of second place. We just struggled to finish the tournament and ended up dropping to fifth. In previous years we would be very excited about the scores we’ve been shooting so far this fall, but we have high expectations for ourselves, so this one hurts a little bit.”
There was no disappointment for Woodmancy who shot a career low round of 68 to open up the Blue River Classic. He finished at six-under-par (68-71-71–210) and was six strokes behind the tournament individual champion. Two other Bulldogs placed inside the top 20: Ivan Yabut (75-74-69–218) in a tie for 14th and Drew D’Ercole (74-70-76–220) at 20th. The team’s No. 1 player in 2021-22, Yabut carded a team low round of three-under-par 69 on Wednesday.
Woodmancy was just one stroke away from being the top GPAC golfer in the field at the Blue River Classic. He made a loud statement this week. Said Muller, “Jacob Woodmancy had an incredible tournament. He’s always been a guy who’s capable of making some birdies but the number of birdies he’s made in the three rounds of the tournament was awesome. He avoided the big numbers and had a very good two days of golf.”
Following Yabut and D’Ercole on the ‘A’ grouping were Jake Hagerbaumer (75-73-73–221; T-21st), Jake Richmond (74-73-78–225; T-26th) and Justin Webert (73-84-70–227; T-32nd). It was also a nice run for Gavin McWhorter, who carded an even-par 72 on Wednesday and placed 26th overall. As a team, the Bulldogs placed behind Iowa Western Community College (836), Doane (861), Hastings (868) and Northwestern (874).
Through five rounds this fall, Concordia’s team scoring average stands at 288.2, a figure that would shatter the school record of 305.1 set by the 2021-22 team. Six Bulldogs are averaging 18-hole scores below 75, led by the 71.8 of Drew D’Ercole.
Concordia individual scores – Blue River Classic (Sept. 6-7)
Jacob Woodmancy: 68-71-71–210 (5th)
Ivan Yabut: 75-74-69–218 (T-14th)
Drew D’Ercole: 74-70-76–220 (20th)
Jake Hagerbaumer: 75-73-73–221 (T-21st)
Gavin McWhorter: 78-75-72–225 (T-26th)
Jake Richmond: 74-73-78–225 (T-26th)
Justin Webert: 73-84-70–227 (T-32nd)
Brock Rogers: 76-73-80–229 (T-36th)
Josh D’Ercole: 82-75-75–232 (T-43rd)
Tyler Bartels: 81-76-80–237 (55th)
Taylor Johnson: 83-78-78–239 (T-58th)
Jaxson Fullerton: 83-80-76–239 (T-58th)
Gavin Buttshaw: 77-78-86–241 (T-60th)
Jonas Sommerville: 90-79-86–255 (T-69th)
The Bulldogs will return to action next Monday and Tuesday (Sept.12-13) for the Siouxland Invite co-hosted by Dordt and Northwestern. This event will also feature 54 holes and will have two different locations: The Ridge Golf Club in Sioux Center, Iowa, and Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City, Iowa.
Bulldogs reside in tie for third after two rounds at Siouxland Invite Sept. 12, 2022
SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – Jacob Woodmancy remained hot on Monday (Sept. 12) as the Concordia University Men’s Golf team competed near the top of the standings at the Siouxland Invite. With 36 of 54 holes in the books, the Bulldog ‘A’ squad is tied for third out of 15 teams in the field that navigated The Ridge Golf Club in Sioux Center, Iowa. The 10 Concordia golfers combined to shoot 16 rounds in the 70s on the first of two days of the tournament co-hosted by Dordt and Northwestern.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ team turned in a score of 294-297–591 on Monday and is tied with Morningside for third. The top two teams heading into Tuesday’s final round are Indian Hills Community College (557) and Northwestern (587). Eight GPAC schools are represented at the Siouxland Invite.
A Perkins County High School product, Woodmancy is aiming for back-to-back top 10 tournament placements after he shot 68-71-71–210 last week at the Blue River Classic and placed fifth. Woodmancy is currently tied for seventh at the Siouxland Invite (72-73–145) after shooting one-over-par through 36 holes. Woodmancy stands seven strokes off the tournament lead in a field of 83 golfers. Right behind him is teammate Ivan Yabut (71-75–146), who sits in a tie for 11th place.
Rounding out the Bulldog first team of five was Jake Richmond (76-73–149; T-24th), Drew D’Ercole (75-76–151; T-35th) and Justin Webert (77-79–156; T-49th). Concordia’s second grouping at the Siouxland Invite carded a score of 314-304–618 and is in 10th place. The top performer within that grouping was Josh D’Ercole (72-78–150; T-30th).
Bulldogs through first two rounds of Siouxland Invite:
T7. Jacob Woodmancy: 72-73–145
T11. Ivan Yabut: 71-75–146
T24. Jake Richmond: 76-73–149
T30. Josh D’Ercole: 72-78–150
T35. Drew D’Ercole: 75-76–151
41. Taylor Johnson: 76-77–153
T45. Jake Hagerbaumer: 83-72–155
T49. Justin Webert: 77-79–156
T54. Gavin McWhorter: 83-77–160
T74. Brock Rogers: 88-83–171
The third and final round of the Siouxland Invite will get started at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday from Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City, Iowa. Live results can be tracked by accessing the Golf Genius app or website (https://www.golfgenius.com/ ) and using the GGID of 22MSIOUXLAND.
Yabut caps Siouxland Invite with 69, helps Bulldogs to fourth place finish Sept. 13, 2022
ORANGE CITY, Iowa – Another 54-hole event has come to a conclusion for the Concordia University Men’s Golf team. Paced at the top of the lineup by junior Ivan Yabut, the Bulldogs placed fourth overall at the Siouxland Invite (Sept. 12-13) and hung right with each of the GPAC teams in the field. Eighty-three golfers took to The Ridge Golf Club in Sioux Center, Iowa, on Monday for two rounds and then to Landsmeer Golf Club in Orange City, Iowa, on Tuesday for one round.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ grouping carded a three-round score of 294-297-285–876 at the Siouland Invite while finishing just behind GPAC rivals Northwestern (866) and Morningside (871). The tournament title was captured by Indian Hills Community College (832).
“We’re much closer,” Muller said. “Obviously the GPAC is very deep when you look at the low team scores. It’s going to take some team rounds under par to really move up in the standings. We were close for most of the day but didn’t have enough guys under par. I’m very proud of Jacob Woodmancy’s performance the last two tournaments. He definitely gave us a lift in the top five this tournament.”
Woodmancy found himself in a tie for seventh on the individual leaderboard following Monday’s 36 holes. The Grant, Neb., native wound up sharing 15th place with a three-day score of 72-73-73–218. The Omaha native Yabut leapfrogged Woodmancy on the final tote board while shooting 71-75-69–215. Yabut’s two-under-par 69 moved him into a tie for 10th place, signaling his first top 10 tournament finish of the fall.
The next three in the ‘A’ group were Drew D’Ercole (75-76-72–223; T-27th), Jake Richmond (76-73-74–223; T-27th) and Justin Webert (77-79-71–227). Drew D’Ercole had entered the tournament as the team’s season scoring average in a close race at the top. As for the second grouping of Bulldogs, they shot 314-304-304–922 and placed 10th at the invite. The No. 1 golfer on the ‘B’ team was sophomore Josh D’Ercole (72-78-75–225; T-36th). Scores for all 10 Concordia golfers at the tournament can be viewed below.
Because of the depth of the lineup, the top five just might be fluid throughout the fall and spring. Never before has Muller had so many players capable of shooting 75 or lower every time out.
“Our depth is a strength this year,” Muller said. “I told the guys late last week that I don’t expect our top five to stay the same because we do have so many guys who are capable. It’s about going out and playing well in the tournaments. That’s how you keep a spot or earn a spot in the top five for the upcoming event.”
While the Bulldogs finished just behind two GPAC opponents at the Siouxland Invite, they managed to beat out other conference rivals such as Midland (fifth), Dordt (sixth), Briar Cliff (seventh), Dakota Wesleyan (12th) and Mount Marty (14th).
Bulldogs at the Siouxland Invite:
T10. Ivan Yabut: 71-75-69–215
T15. Jacob Woodmancy: 72-73-73–218
T27. Drew D’Ercole: 75-76-72–223
T27. Jake Richmond: 76-73-74–223
T36. Josh D’Ercole: 72-78-75–225
39. Justin Webert: 77-79-71–227
T44. Gavin McWhorter: 83-77-71–231
48. Jake Hagerbaumer: 83-72-79–234
T49. Taylor Johnson: 76-77-82–235
75. Brock Rogers: 88-83-79–250
The Bulldogs will have a break from tournament action while waiting to complete the fall portion of the season with the Nebraska Intercollegiate on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The event will be held at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb. The Nebraska Intercollegiate annually features golf programs from institutions across the state of Nebraska.
Bulldogs in second, six strokes off lead after day one of Nebraska Intercollegiate Sept. 30, 2022
NORFOLK, Neb. – State bragging rights are on the line this weekend at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb. As one of seven Nebraska programs, the Concordia University Men’s Golf team resides in second place (out of 11 total groupings) following day one action at the annual Nebraska Intercollegiate (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). The Bulldogs are six strokes in back of Southeast Community College.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s team shot a 305 on Friday in conditions not necessarily conducive to low scoring. Concordia sits in front of GPAC rivals such as Midland (310), Doane (311) and Hastings (321).
Muller entered 10 golfers into the field at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. Leading the way for the Bulldogs, Drew D’Ercole shot a two-over-par 74 and is tied for third. He’s only a single stroke behind Achilleas Lazaridis of Doane and Gabe Escalera of Hastings atop the individual leaderboard. Meanwhile, Ivan Yabut (76) stands in a tie for eighth out of 54 golfers in the field. Below is a summary of Concordia’s scores from day one of the tournament.
Concordia at Nebraska Intercollegiate:
T3. Drew D’Ercole: 74 (+2)
Round two of the Nebraska Intercollegiate is slated to get underway from Norfolk Country Club at 10 a.m. CT on Saturday. It will be the final action of the fall portion of the 2022-23 schedule. Live results are available via the Nebraska Golf Association website: https://www.nebgolf.org/nebraska-intercollegiate/#scoring .
Hagerbaumer, D’Ercole place top five, team finishes fifth at Nebraska Intercollegiate Oct. 1, 2022
NORFOLK, Neb. – While the Concordia University Men’s Golf team fell off the pace it needed to play at to compete for a championship, both Jake Hagerbaumer and Drew D’Ercole placed inside the top five of the two-day Nebraska Intercollegiate (Sept. 30-Oct. 1). The Bulldog ‘A’ squad wound up in fifth place out of 11 groupings in the field of Nebraska institutions represented at Norfolk Country Club in Norfolk, Neb.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s top squad shot a two-round score of 305-316–621. That put Concordia behind Southeast Community College (597), Midland (604), Northeast Community College (615) and Doane (617).
“Our ‘B’ team beat our ‘A’ team today, which is good and bad,” Muller said. “It’s good that we have that depth. It was a little disappointing for our top group. We came into it hoping to win the tournament and were in second place after day one. We didn’t get it done, but I’m very proud of Jake Hagerbaumer. He had a great tournament and played well all weekend.”
Part of that ‘B’ team, Hagerbaumer shot 78-71–149 (five over par) for the tournament and finished just two strokes off of the tournament champion, Ethan Spier of Southeast CC. Hagerbaumer’s previous low round this season was a 72 at the Siouxland Invitational. Just behind Hagerbaumer among Bulldogs was Drew D’Ercole, who shot 74-76–150. He placed in a tie for fifth and earned a medal along with Hagerbaumer.
The rest of the Concordia top five included Justin Webert (77-77–154), Jake Richmond (78-80–158) and Gavin McWhorter (80-78–158). The Bulldog ‘B’ team shot a two-round total of 327-304–631 and placed seventh.
Concordia at Nebraska Intercollegiate:
T2. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-71–149 (+5)
The fall portion of the 2022-23 schedule is in the books. The spring 2023 slate will soon be announced. The 2023 GPAC Men’s Golf Championship will be held at Beatrice Country Club in Beatrice, Neb., April 24-25 and will be a 54-hole event.
Yabut, Bulldogs tied for first after round one of Doane Invite Mar. 24, 2023
EAGLE, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf team showed no signs of rust on Friday (March 24) as it opened the spring portion of its 2022-23 season. The Bulldogs ended round one of the Doane Spring Invitational tied with Midland for first place in a field of 15 squads (11 total institutions represented). Individually, Ivan Yabut paced Concordia while shooting below par on the first of two days. The action on Friday took place at Woodland Hills Golf Course in Eagle, Neb.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ team shot a score of 296 (+12) at Woodland Hills. The Bulldogs loaded the field with 14 individual competitors out of the 91 golfers entered into the Doane Invite.
The Omaha native Yabut is tied for fourth on the individual leaderboard after shooting a 70 (one off a season best). Freshman Jake Richmond also resides inside the top 10 (tied for ninth) thanks to his 74. Yabut and Richmond were joined on the ‘A’ team by Drew D’Ercole (76; T-19th), Justin Webert (76; T-19th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (77; T-29th). The depth of Concordia was on display as seven Bulldogs shot 77 or lower, including Jacob Woodmancy (76) and Gavin McWhorter (77).
The Bulldog ‘B’ team carded a score of 316 and was led by Woodmancy and McWhorter. The ‘B’ squad is sitting in 10th place heading into day two. All 14 Concordia individual scores from Friday are listed below.
The Doane Spring Invite will resume with round two getting underway at 10 a.m. CT from Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb. Live results for the tournament can be found via the Golf Genius app while using the Golf Genius ID of 23TIGERSINVITE.
Concordia first round scores (par 71):
T4. Ivan Yabut – 70
T9. Jake Richmond – 74
T19. Drew D’Ercole – 76
T19. Justin Webert – 76
T19. Jacob Woodmancy – 76
T29. Jake Hagerbaumer – 77
T29. Gavin McWhorter – 77
T51. Brock Rogers – 80
T51. Taylor Johnson – 80
T51. Jaxson Fullerton – 80
T65. Josh D’Ercole – 83
T65. Gavin Buttshaw – 83
T79. Tyler Bartels – 87
T84. Jonas Sommerville – 90
Bulldogs take runner-up trophy at Doane Invite Mar. 25, 2023
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Concordia University Men’s Golf team entered the second day of the Doane Spring Invitational tied atop the leaderboard. A sterling effort from Southeast Community College on Saturday (March 25) left everyone else competing for second place. Ultimately, the Bulldogs finished as the runner up while beating out conference rivals such as Briar Cliff, Dakota Wesleyan, Doane, Dordt and Midland. The Concordia ‘A’ team shot a two-round total of 296-295–591 (+19) and finished 14 strokes off tournament champion Southeast CC.
This was a fine first outing of the spring for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad, which had the opportunity to play on its home course (Highlands Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb.) on the second day of the invite. The first day’s action took place at Woodlands Hills Golf Course in Eagle, Neb.
“It was going to be pretty tough for us to hold onto first with how well Southeast played,” Muller said. “It was still a real positive for us to bring home some hardware and finish above all the GPAC teams at the event. Both our team scores the last two days were basically in line with our average from the fall. We picked up from where we left off and we’re in a good spot moving forward.”
The field of 92 total individuals (15 teams) included 14 Bulldogs. The top Dawg amongst them turned out to be Ivan Yabut, who shot a two-round score of 70-74–144 and was one stroke over par for the tournament. The Omaha native placed in a tie for sixth place while notching his second top 10 finish of the 2022-23 season. The Bulldog ‘A’ grouping also featured Justin Webert (76-72–148; T-14th), Drew D’Ercole (76-74–150; T-17th), Jake Hagerbaumer (77-75–152; T-27th) and Jake Richmond (74-83–157; T-47th). All Concordia scores from the event can be viewed below.
The Bulldog second grouping shot a two-round score of 316-304–620 (ninth place) and was led by a strong showing from Gavin McWhorter (77-74–151), who posted the fourth lowest score overall among Concordia golfers. Ten of the 14 Bulldogs shot scores in the 70s while navigating Highlands on Saturday.
Concordia entered the event with a team scoring average of 293.8 for the season. The race for the top individual scoring average continues to be tight with Yabut (73.3) just in front of Drew D’Ercole (73.5). As a team, the Bulldogs have played in five varsity events in 2022-23. They have placed in the top five in four of those tournaments.
The spring season will continue next weekend (April 1-2) with the Bethel College Spring Invite. The tournament will be staged in Hesston, Kan., and Newton, Kan.
Concordia tournament scores (par 71-72–143):
T6. Ivan Yabut: 70-74–144
T14. Justin Webert: 76-72–148
T17. Drew D’Ercole: 76-74–150
T22. Gavin McWhorter: 77-74–151
T27. Jake Hagerbaumer: 77-75–152
T27. Jacob Woodmancy: 76-76–152
T43. Taylor Johnson: 80-76–156
T47. Jake Richmond: 74-83–157
T47. Jaxson Fullerton: 80-77–157
T51. Josh D’Ercole: 83-75–158
T58. Brock Rogers: 80-80–160
T66. Gavin Buttshaw: 83-79–162
T73. Tyler Bartels: 87-80–167
T85. Jonas Sommerville: 90-86–176
Bulldogs reside in sixth after round one of Bethel Invite Apr. 1, 2023
HESSTON, Kan. – A group of eight Bulldogs took to the course in Hesston, Kan., as part of round one at the 2023 Bethel College Spring Invitational. Ivan Yabut carded a team low of 71 for the day (April 1) and Concordia University Men’s Golf concluded round one in sixth place out of 11 squads entered into the two-day event. The first round was staged at Hesston Municipal Golf Park (par 71).
The tournament marks the second outing of the spring for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad. The Bulldogs shot a team score of 295 on Saturday in their first event coming off a runner-up placement at the Doane Spring Invite.
Yabut shot even par while carding seven birdies in round one of the Bethel Invite. He stands in a tie for 17th on the individual leaderboard, which includes a total of 75 golfers. Concordia’s five-man team also featured Jake Hagerbaumer (72), Drew D’Ercole (76), Justin Webert (76) and Gavin McWhorter (78). Another three Bulldogs are competing as individuals at the tournament. Sophomore Jaxson Fullerton turned in an impressive career low of 72, tying Hagerbaumer for the second best round on the team. All scores from Saturday are listed below.
After round one, Doane leads the field with a score of 276. The rest of the top five includes Southeast Community College (279), Midland (283), Doane ‘B’ (286) and Briar Cliff (292).
Concordia day 1 scores at Bethel Invite:
T17. Ivan Yabut: 71
T21. Jaxson Fullerton: 72
T21. Jake Hagerbaumer: 72
T31. Jacob Woodmancy: 74
T34. Drew D’Ercole: 76
T34. Justin Webert: 76
T45. Gavin McWhorter: 78
T52. Jake Richmond: 79
Action at the Bethel Invite is slated to resume at 8:30 a.m. CT on Sunday. The tournament will shift to Sand Creek Station in Newton, Kan., for day two. Live results throughout the event are being populated via Golfstat .
Bulldogs finish Bethel Invite in tie for sixth place Apr. 2, 2023
NEWTON, Kan. – Drew D’Ercole put together the strongest performance among Bulldogs on Sunday (April 2) as Concordia University Men’s Golf wrapped up the two-round Bethel College Spring Invitational. As a team, the Bulldogs remained in sixth place in the final standings. A 315 carded at Sand Creek Station Golf Course in Hesston, Kan., prevented Concordia from making a move upward. A day earlier, the Bulldogs shot a 295 at Hesston Municipal Golf Course in Newton, Kan.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad shot a cumulative two-round score of 610. That total put Concordia behind the likes of Doane (577), Midland (590), Southeast Community College (590), Doane ‘B’ (597) and Briar Cliff (599) in the team race.
“The weather conditions were absolutely perfect on Saturday and the course was set up to be scoreable with minimal wind,” Muller said. “We just didn’t play as well as we hoped. We had 16 birdies and had too many bogeys and worse. That really affected our team score. We were just too inconsistent both days, but I thought Jaxson Fullerton had a really solid tournament. We’re looking for a consistent lineup right now.”
An 81 on day two prevented Ivan Yabut from making a run at another top 10 tournament finish. D’Ercole made the biggest splash in round two and moved up 15 spots on the individual leaderboard for a final placement of tied for 19th. The Papillion, Neb., native shot 76-74–150 for the tournament. Yabut (71-81–152) wound up in a tie for 27th place on the heels of sixth-place claim at the Doane Spring Invite. The rest of the Bulldog team of five in Kansas included Justin Webert (76-80–156; T-35th), Gavin McWhorter (78-80–158; T-39th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (72-88–160; T-48th).
It was a fine couple of days for Omaha native Jaxson Fullerton, who shot a career low of one-over-par 72 on Saturday. He followed it up with a 79 on Sunday (151 two-round score) and placed in a tie for 23rd overall out of the field of 75 golfers at the Bethel Invite. Fullerton was one of three Bulldogs to compete as individuals. The other two were Jacob Woodmancy (74-80–154; 34th) and Jake Richmond (79-83–162; T-51st).
Entering the weekend, Concordia possessed an average team score of 294.1, a figure that would represent a school record. The Bethel Invite marked the team’s second outing this spring. The Bulldogs placed as the tournament runner up at the Doane Spring Invite (March 24-25).
Bulldogs at the Bethel Invite
T19. Drew D’Ercole: 76-74–150
T23. Jaxson Fullerton: 72-79–151
T27. Ivan Yabut: 71-81–152
34. Jacob Woodmancy: 74-80–154
T35. Justin Webert: 76-80–156
T39. Gavin McWhorter: 78-80–158
T48. Jake Hagerbaumer: 72-88–160
T51. Jake Richmond: 79-83–162
Next up on the official varsity slate will be the Midwest Spring National Invite hosted by Kansas Wesleyan University on April 10-11. Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan., will be the location for both days of the tournament. Coming up this Wednesday, Concordia will also play at the Doane JV tournament held at Mahoney Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb.
Hagerbaumer's hole-in-one highlights first day at Midwest National Invite Apr. 10, 2023
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Squads from four states have convened at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan., for the two-day Midwest Spring National Invitational. With one round complete, the Concordia University Men’s Golf team resides in fifth place out of 11 groupings. The highlight of Monday (April 10)’s action was a hole-in-one on hole 8 for sophomore Jake Hagerbaumer. He is one of six Bulldogs in the field of 74 total golfers
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad shot a team score of 306 (+18) on Monday. The top four in the standings heading into round two are Friends University (289), Southwestern Christian University (291), Bellevue University (292) and Morningside (302).
Individually, Drew D’Ercole and Ivan Yabut paced Concordia on Monday by shooting identical scores of three-over-par 75 while navigating the course that measures in at 7,278 yards. D’Ercole and Yabut are just one stroke out of the top 10 and seven strokes behind tournament co-leaders Philipp Pakosch and Rodrigo Navarette, who both shot 68. The other four Bulldogs at the tournament include Jacob Woodmancy (77), Justin Webert (78), Hagerbaumer (78) and Gavin McWhorter (82).
Hagerbaumer aced the par three hole 8 at Colbert Hills, which measures 185 yards. Hagerbaumer also collected four birdies on the day. D’Ercole showed the most consistency in carding 13 pars. As a team, Concordia entered the week with an average 18-hole score of 295.6.
Concordia round one scores (par 72):
T14. Drew D’Ercole: 75
T14. Ivan Yabut: 75
T26. Jacob Woodmancy: 77
T34. Justin Webert: 78
T34. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78
T60. Gavin McWhorter: 82
The second and final round of the tournament is scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. CT on Tuesday from Colbert Hills. The Bulldogs are also scheduled to be in action this coming Saturday, Sunday and Monday with the Bulldog-Tiger Cup followed by the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite.
D'Ercole shines, Bulldogs finish Midwest National Invite in eighth Apr. 11, 2023
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Scores were naturally higher on day two of the Midwest Spring National Invitational as the winds picked up at Colbert Hills Golf Course in Manhattan, Kan. Drew D’Ercole knifed through the breeze impressively in carding a one-over-par round on Tuesday (April 11) while Concordia University Men’s Golf concluded the event in eighth place out of 11 teams. The field of competition (74 individuals) included 11 NAIA squads from four different states. The first round was contested on Monday.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad turned in a two-round score of 306-320–626. That total was good enough to beat out the likes of Sterling College (635), Hastings (645) and Midland (654).
The Papillion, Neb., native D’Ercole was by far the team’s top performer on Tuesday with a 73 that vaulted him into a tie for fourth on the tournament’s final individual leaderboard. D’Ercole shot 75-73–148 for the tournament in the process of recording his highest place finish of the season. Only two golfers in the entire field outdueled D’Ercole in Tuesday’s round (the lowest score being a 71). D’Ercole ranked No. 2 among all players in the field with 26 pars.
All other Bulldogs shot scores of 82 or higher in round two. The players who followed D’Ercole were Jacob Woodmancy (77-82–159; T-41st), Justin Webert (78-82–160; T-46th), Jake Hagerbaumer (78-83–161; T-49th), Ivan Yabut (75-86–161; T-49th) and Gavin McWhorter (82-82–164; T-57th). Hagerbaumer had one of the biggest thrills of the tournament when he emerged from hole 8 with a hole-in-one in the first round. Hagerbaumer’s seven birdies were most on the team for the tournament.
Concordia’s average 2022-23 team score hovered at 295.6 entering the event. The Midwest Spring National Invite represented the third outing of the spring for the Bulldogs.
Concordia tournament scores (par 72-72–144):
T4. Drew D’Ercole: 75-73–148
T41. Jacob Woodmancy: 77-82–159
T46. Justin Webert: 78-82–160
T49. Jake Hagerbaumer: 78-83–161
T49. Ivan Yabut: 75-86–161
T57. Gavin McWhorter: 82-82–164
Concordia will also be in action this Friday through Sunday with two separate events. The Bulldog-Tiger Cup is slated to get started at 10 a.m. CT from York Country Club on Saturday. Then on Sunday, the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite will get underway from Hillcrest Country Club.
Concordia takes the cup in annual showdown with Doane Apr. 15, 2023
YORK, Neb. – Concordia University Men’s Golf got the best of rival Doane in the ninth annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup contested on a blustery and cold Saturday (April 15) at York Country Club in York, Neb. In an event that featured a best ball competition and singles match play, the Bulldogs won by a score of 10-8. As a result, Concordia cut into Doane’s all-time cup series lead, which now stands at 6-3.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad was especially successful on Saturday in the best ball competition, winning that category, 4.5 to 1.5. The Tigers made a push by getting the best of the Bulldogs in singles matches, 7.5 to 5.5. Four Concordia players won their singles matches: Drew D’Ercole, Josh D’Ercole, Taylor Johnson and Jacob Woodmancy. Full results are included below. Twelve Bulldogs competed in the event.
Bulldog-Tiger Cup Results
Concordia def. Doane, 10-8
Best Ball:
· Drew D’Ercole / Josh D’Ercole – Halved
· Ivan Yabut / Gavin McWhorter – W
· Justin Webert / Jake Hagerbaumer – W
· Jacob Woodmancy / Taylor Johnson – W
· Jaxson Fullerton / Gavin Buttshaw – L
· Tyler Bartels / Jonas Sommerville – W
Singles:
· Drew D’Ercole – W
· Josh D’Ercole – W
· Gavin Buttshaw – L
· Jaxson Fullerton – L
· Ivan Yabut – Halved
· Gavin McWhorter – Halved
· Jake Hagerbaumer – L
· Justin Webert – Halved
· Jacob Woodmancy – W
· Taylor Johnson – W
· Tyler Bartels – L
· Jonas Sommerville – L
The Bulldogs will return to the usual tournament play over the next two days while taking part in the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite (April 16-17). The action on both days will take place at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb.
Bulldogs reside in third place after windy round one of Wesleyan Invite Apr. 16, 2023
LINCOLN, Neb. – Seventy-one competitors were tasked with battling major wind gusts in Sunday (April 16)’s first round of the Howl at the Hill (Nebraska Wesleyan Invite) held at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb. Naturally, not a single player broke even par. Drew D’Ercole led the way for Concordia University Men’s Golf with an eight-over-par 80 as he attempts to chase down another top 10 tournament finish. As a team, the Bulldogs reside in third place with one round remaining.
Head Coach Brett Muller entered both an ‘A’ and a ‘B’ team into the field in Lincoln. The ‘A’ team shot a 326 in round one and is behind only Carleton College (309) and Southeast Community College (320) on the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Concordia’s ‘B’ grouping carded a 343.
Below is the list of individual scores carded by Bulldogs on Sunday. D’Ercole sits in a tie for 10th place with 11 golfers who equaled his 80. Next in line for Concordia are Jake Hagerbaumer (81) and Justin Webert (82). The Bulldogs entered the event with a team 18-hole season scoring average of 297.8. Concordia was coming off a win over Doane in the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup that was renewed on Saturday at York Country Club.
Concordia round one scores (par 72):
T10. Drew D’Ercole: 80
T21. Jake Hagerbaumer: 81
T25. Justin Webert: 82
T30. Jacob Woodmancy: 83
T33. Brock Rogers: 84
T40. Josh D’Ercole: 85
T45. Ivan Yabut: 86
T45. Jake Richmond: 86
T57. Gavin McWorter: 88
T67. Jaxson Fullerton: 92
Round two of the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite will get started at 9 a.m. CT (shotgun start) from Hillcrest on Monday. This is the team’s final event prior to the GPAC Championships (April 24-25) that will be held at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D.
Concordia improves score on day two, lands in fifth place at Nebraska Wesleyan Invite Apr. 17, 2023
LINCOLN, Neb. – More favorable weather conditions on day two of Nebraska Wesleyan’s Howl at the Hill resulted in improved scores across the board. The Concordia University Men’s Golf team slashed 10 strokes off its Sunday score while shooting a two-round total of 326-316–642 at the event held at Hillcrest Country Club in Lincoln, Neb. Strong winds on Sunday wreaked havoc on the field, but the conditions were near perfect on Monday (April 17).
Head Coach Brett Muller’s ‘A’ squad finished four strokes behind fourth-place Central College (638) at the tournament that featured 10 teams and 71 individual players. The top three team place finishers were Carleton College (614), Southeast Community College (622) and host Nebraska Wesleyan (632).
As Concordia’s top golfer, Drew D’Ercole entered round two tied for 10th. The Papillion, Neb., native couldn’t quite hold onto a top 10 finish as she shot 80-77–157. D’Ercole placed a tie for 15th on the heels of the Midwest Spring National Invite, which saw him earn a top five placement. The remainder of the Bulldog ‘A’ grouping included Justin Webert (82-78–160; T-25th), Jake Hagerbaumer (81-81–162; T-34th), Jacob Woodmancy (83-82–165; T-40th) and Ivan Yabut (86-80–166; T-44th).
The Concordia ‘B’ team shot 343-324–667 and was led by Brock Rogers (84-79–163), who placed in a tie for 37th overall. All Bulldog scores from the event can be found below.
Concordia scores at Howl at the Hill (72-72–144)
T15. Drew D’Ercole: 80-77–157
T25. Justin Webert: 82-78–160
T34. Jake Hagerbaumer: 81-81–162
T37. Brock Rogers: 84-79–163
T40. Jacob Woodmancy: 83-82–165
T44. Ivan Yabut: 86-80–166
53. Josh D’Ercole: 85-83–168
T54. Gavin McWhorter: 88-81–169
T61. Jaxson Fullerton: 92-81–173
T61. Jake Richmond: 86-87–173
The 2023 GPAC Championships are up next. The three-round conference tournament will take place early next week (April 24-25) at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D. Concordia will aim to improve upon last season’s sixth-place GPAC finish. Yabut starred for the Bulldogs at the 2022 GPAC Championships while placing fifth individually.
D'Ercole garners GPAC Golfer of the Week honors Apr. 19, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – It’s been a fine spring for senior Drew D’Ercole, who has added to his career profile with another honor. On Wednesday (April 19), the conference recognized D’Ercole as the GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports Men’s Golfer of the Week. This marks the first time D’Ercole has picked up the golfer of the week award during his Concordia career. The award was handed out based on performances during the period of April 10-16.
Over the past week, D’Ercole has competed in three separate events. At the Midwest Spring National Invite on April 10-11, the Papillion, Neb., native shot a two-round score of 75-73–148 (+4) and placed in a tie for fourth out of 74 golfers (best among GPAC competitors). Then on April 15 at the cold and blustery Bulldog-Tiger Cup, D’Ercole led Concordia to a 10-8 win over Doane while winning his singles match. Most recently, D’Ercole shot 80-77–157 (+13) at the Howl at the Hill (Nebraska Wesleyan) this past Sunday-Monday and placed 15th in a field of 71 players. On the season, D’Ercole has placed in the top five of two tournaments and owns a team best 18-hole scoring average of 74.3 (18 rounds).
In his career, D'Ercole has twice been named Honorable Mention All-GPAC and is an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He’s played 64 career collegiate rounds wearing navy blue with a career scoring average of 76.4. He’s earned eight top 10 tournament placements over four seasons.
Up next for Concordia Men’s Golf will be the 2023 GPAC Championships set for April 24-25 at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D.
Tournament Preview: 2023 GPAC Men's Golf Championship Apr. 21, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Fifty-four holes of competition will decide a conference champion over two days (April 24-25) at the 2023 GPAC Men’s Golf Championship. The event will be held at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D., the same setting for the conference tournament last spring. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad placed sixth in the GPAC in 2021-22. The Bulldogs have played in five varsity events this spring leading up to the GPAC Championship tournament.
2023 GPAC Men’s Golf Championship https://www.golfgenius.com/ (GGID = GPACCHAMP)GPAC Men’s Golf webpage
Monday Tee Times:
By the numbers
· At the 2021-22 conference championships (split between the fall and spring), Concordia carded a three-round total of 298-308-313–919. The top five place finishers were Morningside (869), Midland (880), Briar Cliff (890), Doane (910) and Northwestern (915). Individually, Ivan Yabut set a new program standard for highest GPAC finish as he placed in a tie for fifth (71-74-74–219). The Bulldogs lineup included three others who competed in all three GPAC rounds: Justin Webert (81-72-78–231; T-22nd), Drew D’Ercole (77-82-78–237; T-34th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (76-84-84–244; T-37th). For their efforts, Yabut was named All-GPAC and D’Ercole was recognized as Honorable Mention All-GPAC.
· The Bulldogs enter the conference tournament with a 2022-23 season average of 300.4. That figure represents an improvement from the program record of 305.1 produced by the 2021-22 team. In action this spring, Concordia has carded respective team scores of 296, 295, 295, 315, 306, 320, 326 and 316. The Bulldogs have turned in place finishes of second (out of 15) at the Doane Invite, sixth (out of 11) at the Bethel Invite, eighth (out of 11) at the Midwest Spring National Invite and fifth (out of 10) at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite. Concordia also defeated Doane, 10-8, in the annual Bulldog-Tiger Cup. The team low round for the season was a 283 back in the fall at the UC Ferguson Classic.
· It’s been a fine spring for D’Ercole, a senior from Papillion, Neb. He was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week on Wednesday after he placed in a tie for fourth (75-73–148) at the Midwest Spring National Invite. In his career, D'Ercole has twice been named Honorable Mention All-GPAC and is an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He’s played 64 career collegiate rounds wearing navy blue with a career scoring average of 76.4. He’s earned eight top 10 tournament placements over four seasons. Yabut has also enjoyed an accomplished career having averaged a score of 76.6 over 53 career rounds. The Omaha native remains the school record for lowest single round score with the seven-under-par 65 he shot at the 2021 Siouxland Invite.
· Without a doubt, this is the deepest team Muller has coached in his Concordia tenure, which dates back to the 2011-12 season. The current Bulldogs boast nine players with 18-hole scoring averages in the 70s. The team’s top five performers this season, in terms of scoring average, have been D’Ercole (74.3), Yabut (75.4), Webert (76.4), Jacob Woodmancy (76.6), Hagerbaumer (77.3) and Jake Richmond (77.3). The lowest individual round of the season was a 68 by D’Ercole (UC Ferguson Classic) and Woodmancy (Blue River Classic). Concordia competitors have combined for 13 top-10 tournament placements in 2022-23.
· Over the previous five seasons, the program has recorded GPAC place finishes of sixth in 2021-22, ninth in 2020-21, seventh in 2019-20, ninth in 2018-19 and fifth in 2017-18. Morningside is the reigning GPAC champion after it shot a three-round total of 278-293-298–869 during last season’s conference tournament. The conference champion earns an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships.
NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship
National qualifiers that come out of the conference championships will continue their seasons with the 2023 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championship set to be played in Mesa, Ariz., May 16-19. For more information on the national tournament, click HERE .
Bulldogs land in sixth place after day one of GPAC Championships Apr. 24, 2023
VERMILLION, S.D. – There’s work to be done on day two of the 2023 GPAC Men’s Golf Championship. The Concordia University Men’s Golf team stands in sixth place in the conference with 36 of 54 holes completed at the conference tournament. The Bulldogs shot a two-round total of 296-307–603 in action that took place at The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D., on Monday (April 24). Sixth is also where Concordia placed last season.
At +27 after two rounds, Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad will enter the third and final round in pursuit of Doane (+5), Morningside (+7), Northwestern (+8), Midland (+11) and Jamestown (+26).
A top-five finisher in the GPAC last season, Ivan Yabut led the Bulldogs from an individual perspective on Monday. He shot 73-76–149 (+5) over the first two rounds and is tied for 16th among the 57 golfers in the GPAC championship field. Concordia’s veteran lineup at the conference tournament also features Drew D’Ercole (74-76–150; T-24th), Jacob Woodmancy (74-77–151; T-27th), Justin Webert (75-79–154; T-37th) and Jake Hagerbaumer (82-78–160; T-48th). D’Ercole has twice been named honorable mention all-conference.
Entering the week, Concordia carried a team scoring average of 300.4. D’Ercole was recently named the GPAC Golfer of the Week after he tied for fourth place at the Midwest Spring National Invite.
Concordia GPAC Championships Results (36 of 54 holes completed)
TEAM: 296-307–603 (+27) | 6th place
T16. Ivan Yabut: 73-76–149
T24. Drew D’Ercole: 74-76–150
T27. Jacob Woodmancy: 74-77–151
T37. Justin Webert: 75-79–154
T48. Jake Hagerbaumer: 82-78–160
Round three of the GPAC Championships is scheduled to get underway at 9 a.m. CT from The Bluffs. All play will begin off hole one in Vermillion. Live results can be found via the Golf Genius app and by using the GGID of GPACCHAMP.
2022-23 season concludes with fifth place GPAC finish Apr. 25, 2023
VERMILLION, S.D. – A tough go in round two prevented the Concordia University Men’s Golf from a shot at contending for a conference championship. On the plus side, the Bulldogs sharpened their game in Tuesday (April 25)’s final round of the 2023 GPAC Men’s Golf Championship and moved up to fifth in the final conference standings. Drew D’Ercole paced Concordia individually as it shot a three-round team score of 296-307-296–899 at the event hosted by The Bluffs Golf Course in Vermillion, S.D.
Head Coach Brett Muller’s program bumped up a rung from its sixth place GPAC finish in 2022. The top four teams at the 2023 conference tournament were Doane (868), Northwestern (875), Midland (881) and Morningside (882).
“After the first 18 yesterday, we were tied for third and just struggled in round two,” Muller said. “We bounced back and had another pretty solid round today. We moved up a spot and finished fifth. I know the guys are a little disappointed. I think we had a better year than our fifth-place season, but it’s golf and you have to show up when the bright lights are on.”
One of the best to ever play for the program, Ivan Yabut put a bow on his collegiate career, one year after he placed fifth in the GPAC. This time around, it was D’Ercole who topped the Bulldogs. He placed in a tie for 16th on the final 2023 GPAC leaderboard while shooting 74-76-72–222. Four of the five Bulldogs at the championship finished inside the top 20 (in a field of 57). Yabut, Justin Webert and Jacob Woodmancy each tied for 20th with identical cumulative totals of 226. Meanwhile, Jake Hagerbaumer placed 44th (82-78-79–239).
The 2022-23 Bulldogs wound up with a school record 18-hole season average of 300.3 in 21 rounds throughout the fall and spring. That figure broke the previous record of 305.1 by the 2021-22 squad. As for D’Ercole and Yabut, both have claimed career totals of seven tournament top 10 placements and four tournament top five placements. Yabut still boasts the program record for the lowest single round score (seven-under-par 65) in program history.
Without question, the ’22-23 team showcased the deepest roster that Muller has ever put together. Nine Bulldogs produced seven averages in the 70s. On any given day, Concordia was capable of beating anyone in the GPAC.
Said Muller, “We had a lot of different guys that stepped up and played on our varsity roster throughout the year. This was the most depth the GPAC has had as a conference. I really believe there were about eight different schools that had a chance to win the conference. Hats off to Doane. They played great the last two days. I wish them the best of luck at nationals. From a season standpoint, we set the school record for 18-hole average for the second year in a row. That’s a testament to our guys. It’s not an easy record to achieve. It’s a long season when you start before class and have to carry that focus all the way up to finals week in the spring.”
Concordia – Final GPAC Results
TEAM: 296-307-296–899 (5th)
T16. Drew D’Ercole: 74-76-72–222
T20. Justin Webert: 75-79-72–226
T20. Jacob Woodmancy: 74-77-75–226
T20. Ivan Yabut: 73-76-77–226
44. Jake Hagerbaumer: 82-78-79–239
Detailed 2022-23 season statistics can be found HERE . A schedule for the 2023-24 Concordia Golf season will be announced during the summer.
D’Ercole, Yabut honored as All-GPAC award winners May 11, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – For their performances throughout the 2022-23 season, Concordia University Men’s Golf standouts Drew D’Ercole and Ivan Yabut have been named to the GPAC Men’s Golf All-Conference teams, as announced on Thursday (May 11). In a new procedure for determining all-conference teams, GPAC coaches voted on the top players while taking into account the entire season of results. The top 10 vote getters were considered first team and the next five were named to the second team. Both D’Ercole and Yabut landed on the first team.
D’Ercole and Yabut were the headliners for Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad, which placed fifth in the GPAC and broke the school record for lowest scoring average (300.3) in a single season. One of the highlights of the season from a team perspective was the runner-up placement at the Doane Spring Invite.
A Papillion, Neb., native, D’Ercole has been a steadying force at the top of the lineup throughout his four-year Concordia career. During the 2022-23 season, D’Ercole carded a team low average score of 74.2 over 21 rounds and placed in a tie for 16th in the GPAC. His top performances of the year included a fourth-place finish at the Midwest Spring National Invite and a fifth-place claim at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. He was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week on April 19. Over the course of his career, D’Ercole has recorded seven top-10 tournament placements and four top-five tournament finishes. D’Ercole won an individual championship at the 2021 Doane Spring Invite. He owns a career scoring average of 76.3 in 67 rounds. An NAIA Scholar-Athlete, D’Ercole was twice named Honorable Mention All-GPAC before being chosen to the first team in 2023.
Yabut wrapped up his Concordia career this spring. Like D’Ercole, Yabut ranks among the top individuals in program history. The Omaha Burke High School alum shot an average of 75.4 in 2022-23 and placed in a tie for 20th in the GPAC. Yabut turned in two top-10 tournament finishes this season: sixth at the Doane Spring Invite and 10th at the Siouxland Invitational. Major moments in Yabut’s career included a school record single-round total of seven-under-par 65 at the 2021 Siouxland Invite and the program’s best ever individual GPAC finish of fifth in the spring of 2022. For his career, Yabut recorded seven top-10 tournament placements and five top-five tournament finishes. He’s now a back-to-back All-GPAC honoree with a career scoring average of 76.6.
Six men's golfers achieve NAIA Scholar-Athlete distinction May 15, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A half dozen academic standouts from Concordia University Men’s Golf garnered 2023 Daktronics NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition, as announced by the NAIA on Monday (May 15). The list of Bulldog honorees includes repeat award winners in Drew D’Ercole, Jacob Woodmancy and Ivan Yabut. The first time Scholar-Athletes from Head Coach Brett Muller’s program are Gavin Buttshaw, Jake Hagerbaumer and Justin Webert.
The 2022-23 list of men’s golf honorees features 375 total student-athletes. In order to be nominated by an institution’s head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must appear on the eligibility certificate for the sport and have attended one full year at said institution.
D’Ercole and Yabut also recently were named GPAC All-Conference honorees. Areas of study for Concordia’s Scholar-Athletes are Accounting and Business Administration for Buttshaw, Recreation and Sport Studies and Business Administration for D’Ercole, Business Administration for Hagerbaumer, Accounting for Webert, Mathematics for Woodmancy and Psychology for Yabut.
Concordia University ranks as the NAIA’s all-time leader in number of Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes with 2,121 entering the 2022-23 academic year. The school record for number of Scholar-Athletes in one academic year is 226 achieved in 2019-20. Concordia has been a regular national leader for both Scholar-Athletes and Scholar-Teams.
2023 Men’s Golf NAIA Scholar-Athletes
· Gavin Buttshaw (Aurora, Colo.)
· Drew D’Ercole (Papillion, Neb.)
· Jake Hagerbaumer (Hooper, Neb.)
· Justin Webert (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Jacob Woodmancy (Grant, Neb.)
· Ivan Yabut (Omaha, Neb.)
D’Ercole named to 2023 NAIA PING Central All-Region Team May 18, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – Recently named a First Team All-GPAC honoree, Drew D’Ercole pulled in another postseason award on Wednesday (May 17). As announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA), D’Ercole has been recognized as a 2023 NAIA PING Central All-Region Team award winner. D’Ercole was one of 15 golfers placed on the central region honor roll. D’Ercole is believed to be the first student-athlete in Concordia University Men’s Golf history to earn this accolade.
A Papillion, Neb., native, D’Ercole has been a steadying force at the top of the lineup throughout his four-year Concordia career. During the 2022-23 season, D’Ercole carded a team low average score of 74.2 over 21 rounds and placed in a tie for 16th in the GPAC. His top performances of the year included a fourth-place finish at the Midwest Spring National Invite and a fifth-place claim at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. He was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week on April 19. Over the course of his career, D’Ercole has recorded seven top-10 tournament placements and four top-five tournament finishes. D’Ercole won an individual championship at the 2021 Doane Spring Invite. He owns a career scoring average of 76.3 in 67 rounds. A three-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, D’Ercole was twice named Honorable Mention All-GPAC before being chosen to the first team in 2023.
D'Ercole was one of six GPAC golfers represented on the all-region team. The others were Doane’s Blake Andersen, Morningside’s Braden Bernaldo, Northwestern’s Jackson Laven and Brock Murphy and Jamestown’s Jackson Worner.
D’Ercole, Yabut garner Academic All-District awards May 23, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The top two performers for the Concordia University Men’s Golf team, Drew D’Ercole and Ivan Yabut have been recognized by College Sports Communicators as 2023 Academic All-District® Team award winners. Teams were selected and announced by CSC on Tuesday (May 23). D’Ercole and Yabut were also recently named First Team All-GPAC honorees. On May 18, D’Ercole was named to the 2023 NAIA PING Central All-Region Team by the Golf Coaches Association of America.
The 2022-23 Academic All-District® At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
A Papillion, Neb., native, D’Ercole has been a steadying force at the top of the lineup throughout his four-year Concordia career. During the 2022-23 season, D’Ercole carded a team low average score of 74.2 over 21 rounds and placed in a tie for 16th in the GPAC. His top performances of the year included a fourth-place finish at the Midwest Spring National Invite and a fifth-place claim at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. He was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week on April 19. Over the course of his career, D’Ercole has recorded seven top-10 tournament placements and four top-five tournament finishes. D’Ercole won an individual championship at the 2021 Doane Spring Invite. He owns a career scoring average of 76.3 in 67 rounds. An NAIA Scholar-Athlete, D’Ercole was twice named Honorable Mention All-GPAC before being chosen to the first team in 2023. He graduated this May with degrees in Recreation and Sport Studies and Business Administration.
Yabut wrapped up his Concordia career this spring. Like D’Ercole, Yabut ranks among the top individuals in program history. The Omaha Burke High School alum shot an average of 75.4 in 2022-23 and placed in a tie for 20th in the GPAC. Yabut turned in two top-10 tournament finishes this season: sixth at the Doane Spring Invite and 10th at the Siouxland Invitational. Major moments in Yabut’s career included a school record single-round total of seven-under-par 65 at the 2021 Siouxland Invite and the program’s best ever individual GPAC finish of fifth in the spring of 2022. For his career, Yabut recorded seven top-10 tournament placements and five top-five tournament finishes. He’s now a back-to-back All-GPAC honoree with a career scoring average of 76.6. Yabut has studied Psychology at Concordia.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced on June 21.
D'Ercole rewarded with Academic All-America honors Jul. 21, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – The postseason accolades have streamed in for Concordia University Golf standout Drew D’Ercole. On Wednesday (June 21), College Sports Communicators (CSC) honored D’Ercole as a 2022-23 NAIA Academic All-America® Second Team At-Large selection. Thirty-four NAIA student-athletes garnered either first or Second Team All-America accolades in the at-large category. The at-large breakdown includes sports such as golf, wrestling, men’s volleyball, lacrosse, bowling and competitive cheer and dance.
The 2022-23 Academic All-America® At-Large Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. Student-athletes must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be nominated for this award. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA — for each gender.
For the 2022-23 academic year, D’Ercole has collected the following awards:
· CSC Academic All-America Second Team / Academic All-District
· NAIA PING Central All-Region Team
· First Team All-GPAC
· NAIA Scholar-Athlete
· GPAC Golfer of the Week (April 19)
A Papillion, Neb., native, D’Ercole has enjoyed a stellar four-year Concordia career. During the 2022-23 season, D’Ercole carded a team low average score of 74.2 over 21 rounds and placed in a tie for 16th in the GPAC. His top performances of the year included a fourth-place finish at the Midwest Spring National Invite and a fifth-place claim at the Nebraska Intercollegiate. He was named the GPAC Golfer of the Week on April 19. Over the course of his career, D’Ercole has recorded seven top-10 tournament placements and four top-five tournament finishes. D’Ercole won an individual championship at the 2021 Doane Spring Invite. He owns a career scoring average of 76.3 in 67 rounds. An NAIA Scholar-Athlete, D’Ercole was twice named Honorable Mention All-GPAC before being chosen to the first team in 2023. He graduated in May with degrees in Recreation and Sport Studies and Business Administration.
In Concordia Golf history, D’Ercole becomes the program’s second student-athlete to be named an Academic All-American by CSC (formerly known as College Sports Information Directors of America). Past GPAC champion Amy Ahlers earned Academic All-America awards in 2016 and 2017.
Four Bulldogs represent men's golf with All-America Scholar recognition from GCAA Aug. 9, 2023
SEWARD, Neb. – A quartet of Bulldogs from the Concordia University Men’s Golf program were honored by the Golf Coaches Association of America on Wednesday (Aug. 9). The organization recognized the following student-athletes with 2022-23 All-America Scholar accolades: Drew D’Ercole, Jake Hagerbaumer, Justin Webert and Ivan Yabut.
To be eligible for GCAA All-America Scholar nomination, an individual must be a sophomore, junior or senior both academically and athletically in NCAA Division I, II, III, and NAIA, or receiving their associate degree and in their last year of athletic eligibility in the NJCAA. In addition, they must participate in 50 percent of their team’s competitive rounds, have a stroke average under 76.0 in NCAA Division I, under 78.0 in NCAA Division II, under 79.0 in NCAA Division III, under 78.0 in NAIA, and under 77.0 in NJCAA, and maintain a minimum cumulative career grade-point average of 3.2. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at their college or university.
· CSC Academic All-America / All-District
· NAIA PING Central All-Region
· GPAC All-Conference
· NAIA Scholar-Athletes