Posted: Sep 05, 2013

Cobber Men's Golf MIAC Preview

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

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The men's golf outlook in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) has never been brighter. Not only is the league entering the 2013 with optimism for all 10 teams, but the conference also continues to make its presence felt in the region and all of Division III as a trio of MIAC teams - Saint John's, Gustavus and St. Thomas - all ranked in the top 18 in the country.

According to the Golf World/Nike Golf Division III College Preseason Coaches' Poll, there is much to look forward to in the MIAC this fall, with the fourth-ranked Johnnies, 10th-ranked Gusties and 18th-ranked Tommies leading the way, and the rest of the conference competing to join the three atop the prestigious conference leader board.

A year ago, conditions were less-than-ideal at the 2012 MIAC Golf Championships at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn., but that certainly wasn't reflected in the scores. Gustavus was remarkable en route to the conference championship, carding a 54-hole total of 885 (300-290-295) to claim a 16-shot victory. Then-senior Alex Kolquist led the Gusties to victory by shattering the MIAC Championships scoring record, carding a nine-under par 207 en route to MIAC Player-of-the-Year honors.

Though Gustavus was spectacular in victory, the conference's depth and talent was on full display, as the Johnnies finished second (901) and eventually sixth in the nation at the Division III Championships. St. Thomas, which won the MIAC title in 2012, was third at the MIAC meet with a three-day total of 931, and that trio again enters the season with high hopes for the MIAC Championships and beyond.

The rest of the league isn't far behind that talented trio. Bethel was just four shots back of the Tommies in 2012, carding a 935 to finish fourth, and Concordia was another six shots back at 941 to round out the top five. Augsburg (953) and St. Olaf (964) gave the conference an extremely talented top seven, with Carleton (987), Saint Mary's (1,013) and Macalester (1,030) rounding out the MIAC standings.

Two of the league's top three individuals - Kolquist and Saint John's star Dennis Granath - graduated a year ago, along with three-time All-MIAC golfer and 2010 MIAC medalist Andrew Whitchurch of Concordia, and St. Thomas' Michael Mortenson, who contributed to the Tommies NCAA appearances and received the NCAA Elite 89 Award.

However, the loss of those decorated seniors will be absorbed the amount of returning star power in the conference. Most of the 10-member All-MIAC squad returns, and a host of new faces and emerging stars add to the anticipation of what is expected to be an unforgettable fall in 2013.

WHAT'S NEW?
The MIAC has one new head coach in 2013, and a new format to its All-Conference honors. Ryan Egan replaces Kevin Landrum as the head coach of both the Saint Mary's men's and women's teams. Egan was promoted to the head gig after two years as the Saint Mary's assistant coach, and he is also an assistant men's hockey coach at SMU, a position he has held since the start of the 2009-10 season.

Saint John's Bob Alpers enters his 21st season leading the Johnnies, making him the longest-tenured men's coach. Gustavus' Scott Moe will try to guide his team to a successful defense of their title in his 18th season at the helm.

Also, the coaches and administrators agreed upon a new way to determine the All-MIAC honors. Previously, the honor was bestowed upon the top 10 finishers at the MIAC Championships. Now, those same top 10 individuals will be recognized at the meet as the All-MIAC Championship Team, and they will also automatically earn All-MIAC honors, which will now be awarded in May along with the rest of the MIAC Golf Awards. In addition, the coaches can elect to honor a total of 15 players. This new system allows someone who had an outstanding season but finished outside the top 10 at the MIAC meet to still be eligible for recognition. It also allows golf to present all of its honors at once, rather than the All-MIAC team in the fall and top individual honors in the spring.

WHO'S BACK?
Though Gustavus lost Kolquist to graduation, who put on quite a show with his record-setting medalist performance at the MIAC Championships, Moe's squad returns plenty of talent to aim for a second-straight conference crown. All-MIAC and Third Team All-American Tyler McMorrow is back for his senior year, as is All-MIAC and All-Region teammate Andrew Oakes to lead the Gusties in 2013.

The Johnnies also have the upperclassmen back in the fold to validate their No. 4 national ranking and ease the loss of Granath, the 2012 MIAC Player-of-the-Year. Senior Casey Vangsness is a three-time All-MIAC and All-Region player, and earned All-American honors a year ago. Junior Drew Lynch was also an All-MIAC and All-America Third Team selection last season, and senior Tommy Koehler is also back in Alpers' lineup.

St. Thomas will again be led by a trio of talented classmates. Junior Alex Kapraun is the brightest star back for Head Coach Scott Proshek, after earning All-MIAC and All-America honors in each of his first two seasons. Fellow juniors Bennett Scroeder and Pat Larkin help fuel the Tommies' high expectations in 2013.

Bethel returns two of its top three golfers, as it tries to join the ranked trio atop the MIAC. Sophomore Dillon John finished 12th at his first MIAC meet in 2012, and classmate Devon Johnson was also in the top 16 to give the Royals a strong, young nucleus. Concordia loses Whitchurch and Jordie Siverson to graduation, but welcomes back talented junior Coy Papachek and sophomore Landon Poss, who earned All-MIAC honors as a freshman.

Augsburg lost a pair of talented seniors in Zach Johnson and Justin Popp, but has high hopes for senior Eric Aughinbaugh and sophomore Brandon Jones, as both Auggies finished in the top 26 at the 2012 conference meet. St. Olaf is also a good bet to get back in contention with all of its top players back, led by All-MIAC star senior Ryan Heidi, junior J.R. Shimpach and 2012 MIAC Rookie-of-the-Year Charlie Johnson.

Carleton hopes to climb the leader board in 2013, as it will serve as the MIAC Championship host school. Senior Aaron Buckley and sophomore Ned Rohrbach are back to lead the Knights this season. In his first season as head coach, Saint Mary's Egan has the benefit of welcoming back Blake Westerberg, who led the Cardinals in scoring as a freshman in 2012, as well as senior Trevor Erickson. Macalester returns most of its lineup in the second season for Head Coach Tomas Adalsteinsson, including juniors Erik Alvin and Dan Shi.

CIRCLE THESE DATES
Clearly, the first three dates any MIAC men's golf fan will want to mark on the calendar are Oct. 5, 6 and 7, which are the three days the conference title will be decided at the 2013 MIAC Golf Championships. The three-day, 54-hole event will again be held at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn. Spectators are welcome and the MIAC will provide "live" updates throughout the tournament.

More than half the league will face off this weekend at the Augsburg College Fall Invite in Ham Lake, Minn. The field includes the host Auggies, Bethel, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus, Macalester and Saint Mary's. On Sept. 14 and 15 the Saint John's Fall Invitational in Sauk Centre and Sartell, Minn., will include Augsburg, Bethel, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus, Macalester, the host Johnnies, Saint Mary's and St. Thomas.

The Twin Cities Classic, a three-day event Sept. 28-30, will include numerous MIAC teams as well with Augsburg, Bethel, Carleton, Concordia, Gustavus, Saint John's and St. Olaf all competing. The 54-hole tournament will take place in Elk River, Ramsey and Maple Grove, Minn. Gustavus, Saint John's and St. Thomas will also travel to the NCAA Division III Preview in Greensbooro, N.C. on Sept. 22-23.

A CLOSER LOOK
The rest of the 2013 MIAC Women's Golf Preview contains MIAC Championship details, helpful links and a preview for each team submitted by their sports information director. The new MIAC web site - www.miacathletics.com - will be an outstanding source for MIAC women's golf news, schedules, results, stats and more throughout the 2013-14 season.

This year, the MIAC scoreboard will include women's golf events, with links to results to see how each fared throughout the season. Also, download the MIAC mobile app to have all the information with you anywhere you travel. Also, connect to the conference on its Facebook, Twitter and YouTube pages for updates and interaction all season long.

2013 MIAC MEN'S GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS

The 2013 MIAC Golf Championships will be held Oct. 5-7 at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn. The 2013 host school is Carleton College. The MIAC has a championship home page for the event, which will feature complete details as well as live scoring and continual updates throughout the event. The three-day, 54-hole championship will crown the MIAC team championship, and the top 10 individuals (including ties) will be honored with All-Championship Team honors. Admission is free and spectators are encouraged to attend.

| 2013 MIAC Golf Championship Page |

MIAC MEN'S GOLF LINKS