Bearcats Lead NWC Tournament after First Round, as Davis Tops Medalist Race

By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Austin Davis (Jr., Culver City, CA/Culver City HS) of Willamette University shot an even-par 72 to top the individual leaderboard and help the Bearcats hold first place during the opening round of the Northwest Conference Tournament in men's golf on Saturday, April 17 at the Kalispel Golf and Country Club. Davis held a two-stroke lead in the medalist race. The Bearcats owned a nine-shot advantage in the team standings.

Willamette recorded a team score of 300. Whitworth University shot 309 and was in second place. George Fox University owned third place at 315, with Pacific Lutheran University in fourth place at 316. Linfield University was fifth at 323, with the University of Puget Sound in sixth at 324, and Whitman College in seventh at 325. Pacific University completed the round in eighth place at 336. Lewis & Clark College did not field a complete team.

The round of 72 for Davis featured birdies on the 3rd, 10th, and 18th holes. He shot over-par on just two holes. Will Alexander from Whitworth was second in the individual standings with a 74. Four golfers, including Riley Lankford (So./Fy., Pilot Rock, OR/Pilot Rock HS) and Alex Weirth (So., Port Orchard, WA/Crosspoint Academy) of Willamette, were tied for third place at 73. Also carding 73 on Saturday were Jared Beals from Pacific Lutheran and Mason Koch of George Fox. Max Ray-Keil of Whitman was seventh with a 76.

Isaac Janzen of Whitworth, Joshua Lacky of GFU, and Trevor Price from Linfield were tied for eighth as each shot 77. Andrew Kibbee (Jr., Kenmore, WA/Bothell HS) of Willamette was tied for 11th place at 78, as he matched Connor Siebert of Puget Sound. Aunders Erickson (Grad., Portland, OR/Westview HS/Ohio Wesleyan Univ.) of Willamette carded an 87.

The NWC Tournament will conclude on Sunday, April 28 with the final 18 holes in the 36-hole event. Action is set to begin at 10:18 a.m.

Willamette's tee times are scheduled to begin at 11:48 a.m. with Erickson, followed by Kibbee at 11:57, Lankford at 12:06, Weirth at 12:15, and Davis at 12:24.

The NWC Tournament is worth one-half of the overall NWC Championship. The NWC Fall Classic and the NWC Spring Classic, each worth one-fourth of the title, have already been completed. The NWC Champion will be crowned at the end of Sunday's round.