Pioneer golf takes on the NWC 2016 fall classic

MEN’S GOLF WRAPPED up their fall season this past weekend with the Northwest Conference Fall Classic, which took place at Emerald Valley Golf Resort in Crewel, OR. With improvement from last year’s seventh place ranking, Lewis & Clark finished fourth of nine teams in the competitive NWC.

LC completed the two-day tournament with an overall score of 611, one stroke behind George Fox and four strokes ahead of last year’s conference champions, Whitworth. Drew Groshong ’17 scored a team best 152, earning him ninth place and improving from twelfth place individually last year. Robert Wang ’19 had a team best of 74 on the first day of the event and, even though he injured his back, placed twelfth overall at the tournament with a 153. Following Wang, Jacob Bell ’19 placed thirteenth, just one stroke behind. Michael Bove ’20 tied for twentieth with a 155 overall. Brett Peterson ’20 rounds off the Pioneers roster for this event. He started the tournament with an 81 on the first day and shot a 76 giving him a cumulative score of 157.

Coach Dave Andrews said that there were “great performances from the freshmen.” All Pioneers finished the tournament above twenty-fifth place. Since the team is no longer competing in the Whitworth Invitational, the next time the Pioneer golfers will be on the green is in the spring.

Women’s Golf also capped off their fall season with a third place finish at the NWC Fall Classic at Emerald Valley Golf Resort. This is an improvement from a fourth place finish their last season. They concluded the weekend with a total score of 631 for the tournament, eight strokes behind Whitman. LC posted the second best team score during the second round of the tournament behind last year’s conference champions George Fox.

According to Andrews, Mady Rhodenbaugh ’19 “putted well day two” to earn a team best 71 and finish third individually at the event with a 151. Annie McCutchan ’19 placed tied for eighth with a 159 overall. McCutchan also won two tournaments this fall season and Coach Andrews spoke highly of her performance. Rhodenbaugh and McCutchan both improved from tenth place finishes at last year’s event. Claire Burke ’17 placed twelfth with a 160 followed by Arielle Valdez ’17 in thirteenth place with a 162. Valdez advanced her place from last year’s thirtieth place finish at the same event. Annika Clunk ’20 finished with a 170 at eighteenth place. All of the Lady Pioneers placed in the top half of the tournament. The spring season is the next time the women’s team will be competing on the course.

Proud of the Pioneers’ achievements this fall, including the women’s team finishing in the top twenty-five nationally, Andrews said that this was the “best weekend for both teams.”