SEWARD, Neb. – Fifty-four holes of competition will decide a conference champion over two days (May 1-2) at the 2023 GPAC Women’s Golf Championship. The event will be held at Spencer Golf and Country Club in Spencer, Iowa, a course unfamiliar to Concordia University Women’s Golf. Head Coach Brett Muller’s squad placed fifth in the GPAC in 2021-22. The Bulldogs have played in four varsity events (nine rounds) this spring leading up to the GPAC Championship tournament.
2023 GPAC Women’s Golf Championship
May 1-2 | Spencer Golf and Country Club (Spencer, Iowa) | Tee times: 9 a.m. / 9 a.m.
--Live Scoring: https://www.golfgenius.com/ (GGID = 23WGPAC)
--GPAC Women’s Golf homepage
By the numbers
· At the 2021-22 conference championships (split between the fall and spring), Concordia carded a four-round total of 351-353-365-343–1,412. The top four team finishers in the GPAC were Morningside (1,277), Dakota Wesleyan (1,361), Briar Cliff (1,362) and Mount Marty (1,404). Individually, an all-time Bulldog great, Kendra Placke polished off her collegiate career by placing third (80-74-84-79–317). Next in line for Concordia were Lauren Havlat (86-87-94-86–353; T-17th), Logan Eschliman (93-90-100-90–373; T-36th) and Mya Nurse (92-102-91-88–373; T-36th). The reigning individual GPAC champion is Morningside’s Sofia Castelan (74-76-78-79–307).
· The Bulldogs enter the conference tournament with a 2022-23 season average of 357.6 over nine events (18 rounds) between the fall and spring. This spring, Concordia has turned in tournament place finishes of ninth (of 10) at the Southwest Minnesota State Spring Invite (NCAA DII field), seventh (of 11) at the Concordia Spring Invitational, second (of seven) at the College of Saint Mary Spring Invite and fifth (of six) at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate hosted by Iowa Western Community College. The best team score carded this spring was a 344 in round two of the Concordia Invite. Back in the fall, the Bulldogs shot a 334 at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite.
· The team’s performance dipped at the Bent Tree Intercollegiate in the absence of freshman Emery Custer. The Broken Bow High School alum leads the team with an 18-hole season scoring average of 86.6. Custer is followed in that category by teammates in Havlat (87.2), Nurse (88.2), Eschliman (92.3), Ashley Gerczynski (102.7), Sarah Wilson (103.4) and Ericka Kroeker (110.6). While helping the team place as the CSM Spring Invite runner up, Custer (third), Eschliman (sixth) and Havlat (seventh) each earned top 10 medals. Back in the fall at the Nebraska Wesleyan Invite, Havlat shot what remains the lowest individual round for a Bulldog this season – a 77. Havlat and Nurse both turned in one round with an 80 at the Concordia Invite.
· The conclusion to their collegiate careers is nearing for three seniors: Gerczynski, Havlat and Eschliman. A constant in the lineup in her four years, Havlat has played 61 career rounds with an average score of 90.4. Meanwhile, Eschliman has played 59 career rounds with an average score of 94.6. They have helped the program to two third place finishes at the GPAC tournament. Havlat has placed in the top 10 of three tournaments in 2022-23.
· Over the previous five seasons, the program has recorded GPAC place finishes of fifth in 2021-22, third in 2020-21, third in 2019-20, seventh in 2018-19 and 10th in 2017-18. Back in 2016-17, Amy Ahlers made history by becoming the first Bulldog in program history to win the GPAC individual tournament title. Ahlers shot 83-76-77-83–319 for the tournament. As the GPAC champion, Ahlers qualified for the national tournament. Meanwhile, Placke’s year-by-year conference tournament place finishes were fifth, sixth, seventh and third, respectively. Placke graduated with program records for lowest career scoring average (80.7) and lowest single season scoring average (79.8 in 2021-22).
NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship
National qualifiers that come out of the conference championships will continue their seasons with the 2023 NAIA Women’s Golf National Championship set to be played in Silvis, Ill., May 23-26. For more information on the national tournament, click HERE.