Men's Golf teams set to compete at 2013 UMAC Championship
2013 UMAC Championship Website
Championship Video Preview: Reed Sorenson, Crown College
Championship Video Preview: Daniel Muhndahl, Bethany Lutheran College Head Coach
Chat Wrap: UMAC Men's Golf Coaches
LAKE CITY, Minn. – Seven Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) teams will compete at the 2013 UMAC Men’s Golf Championship at the Jewel Golf Club in Lake City, Minn. this Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The winner of the three-day tournament will represent the conference at the 2014 NCAA Division III Championship in May.
After taking first in the UMAC Preview tournament at the Jewel Golf Club earlier this fall and claiming the top spot in five other events so far this season, Bethany Lutheran College appears to be a top contender for the 2013 trophy. The Vikings, who average a 318.9 per round team score per contest, are led by 2012 All-UMAC performers junior Jon Peterson and sophomore Austin Snow. Peterson currently ranks first in the conference with his 76.4 per 18-holes average on the season while Snow is just behind him with a 77.5 average.
In order for the Vikings to claim the title, they will have to outshoot a competitive field of UMAC teams, including a tough Crown College team that looks to join the Vikings in the hunt for the title. The Storm currently average a team score of 317.8, the best in the conference, and have finished in first or second in each of their six outings this fall with first place finishes at the Cougar Invite and the Mid Country Bank Classic. At both the UMAC Preview Event and the Northwestern Invitational the Storm placed second to Bethany Lutheran by just one stroke. Sophomore Reed Sorenson won individual medalist honors at the UMAC Preview event shooting an 18-hole score of 75. Sorenson, a 2012 all-conference selection, is joined on the Crown roster by the brother duo of Jose Carlos Cueva and Juan Marcos Cueva who currently average 78.5 and 78.8 strokes per round.
The University of Minnesota Morris finished third at the Preview event and looks to improve on that performance at the Championship. The Cougars shot the best round of their season at the Northwestern Invitational finishing with a team score of 323 and currently rank third in the UMAC team standings. The Cougars and are anchored by sophomore John Geiger and junior Kory Shelerud who average 78.8 and 80.8 on the season respectively.
The Rams of North Central University turned in a fourth place finish at the Preview event, but don’t count the Rams out of the 2013 title hunt as they enter this weekend’s tournament as four-time defending champions. The Rams’ top performance this fall came at the Northwestern Dual when they shot an 18-hole team score of 318.
After finishing in fifth place at the UMAC Preview tournament, the Martin Luther College Knights have consistently shaved strokes off their total team score behind the solid play of freshmen Joshua Hanson. Hanson turned in the best performance of his collegiate career just over a week ago in a dual against Bethany Lutheran earning the individual title for his 18-hole score of 71.
The University of Northwestern finished in sixth place overall at the UMAC Preview tournament earlier this fall and hopes to better that finish at the Championship. The Eagles turned in their best round of the season at the Mid Country Bank Classic in late September and finished in second place overall at the event with a team score of 318. The Eagles rank fourth overall in the UMAC team standings and are led by senior Tyler Melton who currently averages 82.0 strokes per 18 holes.
Northland College rounded out the field at the UMAC Preview, but the LumberJacks have continued to improve as team and individually in their first-ever season with a men’s golf program. The team’s best performance came earlier this season at the Northwestern Invitational where they earned a score of 354.
The seven UMAC teams will tee off at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The winner of the 2013 UMAC Men’s Golf Championship will represent the conference at the 2014 NCAA Division III Men’s Golf Championship May 13 – 16 at Grandover Resort in Greensboro, North Carolina.