(Editor's note: MSUB Athletics release)
DUPONT, Wash. – Tied for first place after Day 1 at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, Tierney Messmer shot an opening round score of 77 at The Home Course on Monday.
The junior had a pair of birdies on the day, carding a 3-over-par 39 on the front-nine and a 2-over-par 38 on the back-nine on the par-72, 5,815-yard course. Messmer is tied with Kathryn Crimp and Hoku Nagamine of Saint Martin’s University at the top of the 20-player leaderboard.
The Yellowjacket women shot a team score of 336 and are in fourth place among the field of four teams competing for the conference crown.
Avery Gill, who was named the GNAC Player of the Week on Monday, is tied for 14th place after opening with a score of 86. Gill made seven pars on Monday, five of which came during a 6-over-par 42 on the back-nine.
Jalen Wagner is also tied for 14th place after shooting an 86. Wagner’s day was highlighted by a birdie on the par-4, 338-yard 13th hole, capping off a three-hole stretch of 1-under-par golf.
Senior Sydney Rochford was just one stroke behind Gill and Wagner, as she shot an 87 on Monday and is in 16th place. Rochford made six pars in her conference championship debut.
Kinsey Irvin is in 19th place, after posting a score of 90 on Monday. Irvin’s lone birdie of the day came on the par-5, 436-yard 10th hole.
Western Washington University leads the pack after the opening round, as the Vikings shot a team score of 315 on Monday and hold a nine-stroke advantage over second-place Northwest Nazarene University.
THE BUZZ: Messmer was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day.
AHEAD: The tournament concludes on Tuesday morning with the second and final round of action set to tee off at 8:25 a.m. Live results will be available through Golf Stat online here. [results.golfstat.com]
2021 GNAC Championships
Round 1 Results – April 19, 2021
The Home Course – DuPont, Washington
Team – 1. Western Washington, 315; 4. MSU Billings, 336. Individual – T1. Tierney Messmer, MSUB, 77; Kathryn Crimp, Saint Martin’s, 77; Hoku Nagamine, Saint Martin’s, 77; T14. Avery Gill, MSUB, 86; T14. Jalen Wagner, MSUB, 86; 16. Sydney Rochford, MSUB, 87; 19. Kinsey Irvin, MSUB, 90.
Meantime, the Montana State University Billings men’s golf team is in second place at The Home Course.
The Yellowjackets shot a two-round team score of 594 (298-296) on the opening day of the three-round event on the par-72, 6,902-yard course. MSUB trails first-place Saint Martin’s University by 12 strokes, and holds a one-stroke lead over third-place Western Washington University.
Junior Riley Kaercher was MSUB’s top performer on Monday, posting a two-round total of 145 (73-72) to sit in a tie for second place with Maxwell Turnquist of Saint Martin’s. Kaercher had six birdies on Monday and had nothing worse than a bogey on his scorecard. Kaercher played the back-nine holes at 1-under-par 35 both times through the course on a clean day of golf.
Senior Garrett Woodin and freshman Kevin Kolb are tied for sixth place, after each shooting a score of 149 on Monday. Woodin started his day with an even-par 72, before finishing with a 76 in Round 2. Woodin had seven total birdies on Monday, and played the front-nine at 2-under-par 34 to start his day on fire.
Kolb rallied from a 76 in Round 1, finishing his day with an even-par 72 to jump up the leaderboard six spots. Kolb made six total birdies, and played the front-nine at 1-under-par 35 in Round 2 to help improve his score.
Caleb Trost is tied for 13th place after posting a score of 153 on Monday, as he shot rounds of 77 and 76 on Day 1 of the event. Trost had four birdies, and in Round 2 he had eight pars and a birdie for a 1-under-par 35 on the front-nine.
Redshirt freshman Paul O’Neil is in 19th place, as he shot a score of 158 (78-80) on Monday. O’Neil had six birdies, including on back-to-back holes in Round 1 on the par-4, 389 seventh and the par-5, 554-yard eighth.
Tyler Fitchett of Saint Martin’s leads the field of 20 players, after he shot a score of 141 (69-72) on Monday. Fitchett was the only player in the field to break 70, as he holds a four-stroke lead over Kaercher and Turnquist.
THE BUZZ: Kaercher was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day.
COMING UP: The tournament concludes on Tuesday morning with the third and final round scheduled to tee off at 7 a.m. Live results will be available through Golf Stat online here. [results.golfstat.com]
2021 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships
Day 1 Results – April 19, 2021
The Home Course – DuPont, Washington
Team – 1. Saint Martin’s, 582 (294-288); 2. MSU Billings, 594 (298-296). Individual – 1. Tyler Fitchett, Saint Martin’s, 141 (69-72); T2. Riley Kaercher, MSUB, 145 (73-72); T6. Kevin Kolb, MSUB, 148 (76-72); T6. Garrett Woodin, MSUB, 148 (72-76); T13. Caleb Trost, MSUB, 153 (77-76); 19. Paul O’Neil, MSUB, 158 (78-80).
