2012 MIAC Men's Golf Championship Meet Preview

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MIAC men's golf preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC

COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- If the 2012 MIAC Men's Golf Championships are anything like the 2011 edition, fans will be in for a treat all weekend long at the three-day event held at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn. The conference tournament tees of Saturday, and concludes with Monday's final round.

 A year ago, St. Thomas used consistent greatness throughout the weekend to capture the team title, with Gustavus making a final-day run into second place and Saint John's in its usual role as a contender finishing third. The three at the top were separated by just five shots, with UST winning at 897, Gustavus finishing at 901 and the Johnnies a shot behind the Gusties at 902. All three scores are among the 13 best ever recorded at the MIAC Championships.

St. Olaf (908) edged Bethel (910) for fourth place as that duo rounded out the top five, and Concordia (928), Augsburg (952), Carleton (975), Macalester (980) and Saint Mary's (1,002) finishing out the rest of the men's field. The Tommies claimed the MIAC's automatic bid to the 2012 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships, and Gustavus also joined UST in the field.

The same trio at the top is expected to be in contention again in 2012, with five total teams entering as legitimate title contenders. Gustavus, St. Thomas, Saint John's, St. Olaf and Concordia are all average less than 310 shots per round in 2012, with the Gusties leading the way at 299.7. St. Thomas isn't far behind at 301.2, the Johnnies average an even 302, St. Olaf is at 304.5 and the Cobbers are also in the mix at 309.8.

Augsburg (317), Bethel (319.8), Macalester (333.1), Carleton (333.4) and Saint Mary's (340.2) all enter the MIAC Championships hoping to improve on last year's finish and move into the top half of the standings.
 
There will be a ton of familiar names and faces on the course this weekend, as eight of the top 10 players from last year's tournament - who all received All-MIAC honors for their performance - are back. That includes co-medalist Alex Kapraun, who was also named MIAC Men's Golf Freshman-of-the-Year in the spring after his outstanding rookie season. Kapraun shared the top spot at last year's event with St. Olaf's Justin Volling, who was a senior, as both were plus-5 for the tournament at 221. This year, Kapraun's 75.7 scoring average ranks ninth in the MIAC.
 
Kapraun also has a pair of All-MIAC Tommie teammates back in the mix. John Young tied for seventh (225) at last year's MIAC meet, and this year he returns with a 76.4 scoring average. Bennett Schroeder is also back for the defending champs with the second-best scoring average in the conference this fall (73.8) after taking ninth place a year ago.

Gustavus also brings back a trio of All-MIAC honorees, led by Alex Kolquist. After finishing in a tie for fifth place (224) at last year's championship meet, Kolquist enters the 2012 even with the MIAC's top scoring average in 2012 at 73.6. Teammate Andrew Oakes tied for third a year ago (223) and also has the third-best stroke average in the conference this season (74.0). Meanwhile, Gustie Coby Rowley tied for 10th last season (228) and carries a 77.3 average into this weekend's competition.

Saint John's has a pair of All-Conference players back in its lineup - including the 2011-12 MIAC Player-of-the-Year - and a few new talented faces. Dennis Granath was voted the top individual in the league a year ago after his stellar season included a seventh-place finish at the MIAC Championships, and he'll be in contention yet again in 2012. Teammate Casey Vangsness tied for third to earn All-MIAC honors last year and enters the 2012 meet with the fourth-best average in the league at 74.1. Drew Lynch (75.4) and Jacob Rydbeck (75.8) make the Johnnies one of the deepest teams in the league yet again.

St. Olaf will be led by the talented duo of Ryan Heide and J.R. Shimpach, who have been among the MIAC's best this fall with scoring averages of 74.3 and 74.5, respectively. Concordia also has a dynamic duo atop its lineup, starting with 2010 MIAC Championships medalist Andrew Whitchurch, who has a 76.8 average this season, and teammate Coy Papachek (76.7).

Augsburg will lean on senior Zach Johnson, who had a top-15 finish in 2011 and leads the Auggie with a 77.9 average this fall. Bethel has a pair of top-15 finishers back from last season's MIAC meet, seniors Taylor Tollette and Luke Johnson. Macalester sophomore Dan Shi leads the Scots with a 79.5 average this fall, while Carleton will be led by junior Aaron Buckley, who was 21st at last year's conference meet. Saint Mary's freshman Blake Westerberg will be among the top newcomers to watch with a team-best 79.8 average this season.

As usual, each team will play one 18-hole round each day, with the champion and individual places decided by the cumulative scores after all 54 holes are complete. Saturday and Sunday will both begin with tee times starting at 11:20 a.m., and Monday's final round will start at 9 a.m. with a brief awards ceremony to conclude the tournament. The top individual will receive medalist honors, while the top 10 individuals - including ties - will be honored as All-Conference performers.

The MIAC men will play the East and West courses at Bunker Hills each day, with the women's playing the North and East courses. Pairings and tee times for Saturday's opening round are determined by last year's finish at the MIAC Championships, and Sunday and Monday's pairings and tee times will be dictated by the previous day's scores. As always, the winning team will receive the MIAC Men's Golf Championship trophy and the conference's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division III Men's Golf Championships.

The MIAC Web site will offer live scoring updates throughout the tournament, along with complete results and recaps following each day of action with photos and videos to highlight the event as well. Stay tuned to the 2011 MIAC Golf Championship Home Page, as well as the MIAC's social media networks on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube throughout the weekend to stay connected to all the action at Bunker Hills.



Click here for the complete MIAC men's golf meet preview