4/27/2008 – NWC CHAMPIONSHIP: Bruins Finish 7th in First NWC Men’s Tournament for New Team
Northwest Conference Championship
YAKIMA, Wash. - Completing their first season of men’s golf, the George Fox University Bruins carded a two-day score of 341-353=694 and finished seventh in the Northwest Conference Men’s Golf Championship held Saturday and Sunday, April 19-20, here at the Apple Tree Golf Club.
Linfield College cruised to a 16-stroke win in the NWC match with a score of 288-303=591, the first title for the school since 1964. Whitworth University, which had its three-year run of championships ended, came in second at 307-298=605, followed by Pacific University at 299-310=609, the University of Puget Sound at 305-313=618, Pacific Lutheran University at 314-311-625, Willamette University at 321-330=651, George Fox, Lewis & Clark College at 344-358=702, and Whitman College at 359-346=705.
David Burkhart had the best score for the Bruins with an 88-82=170, with Kelton Johnson one stroke back at 80-91=171. Other Bruin scores included Daniel Grierson at 88-92=180, Brett Tharp at 86-94=180, Matt Simpson at 87-96=183, and Ben Ulrich at 97=88=185.
Medalist honors went to Max Bonk of Pacific, who shot a 68-73=141. Andrew Fitch of Linfield (69-76=145) and Chris Packard of Pacific Lutheran (71-74=145) tied for second, Tyler Nelson of Linfield (72-74=146) was fourth, Jordan Carter of Whitworth (78-71=149) was fifth, and Whitworth teammates Connor McCracken (75-75=150) and Andrew Parrott (76-74=150) tied for sixth. Those six comprised the All-Conference Team.
Linfield’s win enabled the Wildcats to break what had been a tie for the overall conference title coming into the NWC Championship. Combining results from the NWC Fall and Spring Classics, each of which counted one-quarter toward overall scores, with the NWC Championship, which counted one-half, Linfield had 30 points, followed by Whitworth with 28, Pacific 26, Pacific Lutheran and Puget Sound 18 each, Willamette 12, George Fox 5, Lewis & Clark 4, and Whitman 2.
The Bruins lose three seniors off their first team in Grierson, Ulrich, and Simpson, but head coach Matt Beck is already looking forward to bringing in his first recruiting class in the fall for the second season of men’s golf at George Fox.