2014 MIAC Championship Meet Preview
MIAC men's golf preview courtesy of Matt Higgins and the MIAC office
Click here for the complete MIAC men's golf preview
COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) will crown its first team champions of the season at the 2014 MIAC Golf Championships, which will be held Saturday to Monday at Bunker Hills Golf Course in Coon Rapids, Minn. On the men's side, parity appears to be at an all-time high which should make for an unforgettable three days and 54 holes of golf.
A year ago, Saint John's pulled away from a crowded field of contenders to score an eight-shot win and capture the MIAC championship. The Johnnies - ranked No. 17 in the GCAA Division III Coaches' Poll - will be among the favorites to defend their title, but there are plenty of other top teams in the mix. No. 25-ranked St. Thomas also has high hopes for a MIAC title after finishing second a year ago, and Gustavus, Bethel, Concordia and Augsburg also need to be in the championship conversation.
Just 12 strokes separates the top seven teams on the MIAC leader board this fall, and any of the seven aforementioned squads could certainly put three great rounds together and emerge with the title. In recent years, a three- or four-team race wasn't uncommon, but rarely has the league seen a field of contenders this deep.
After finishing third a year ago, Bethel enters the tournament with the lowest scores in the league this fall. The Royals are averaging just 297.5 shots per round to lead the MIAC by five shots, and they are also tied for the No. 19 ranking in Golfstat's national statistical ranking. St. Thomas ranks second in the MIAC with an average of 302.5, and the Tommies are the only other MIAC team ranked in Golfstat's top 50 at No. 29.
Concordia was fourth last year at the MIAC meet, and hoping for a rise into contention with the league's third-best scoring average at 305.0. Augsburg also hopes to continue its ascent after a top-five finish last yera, and a 306.9 scoring average this fall. Gustavus received votes in the GCAA poll and is ranked fifth int he MIAC with an average of 307.7. The defending-champion Johnnies come in with a 308.8, which is affected by a tough outing at a primarily-Division-I tournament, and St. Olaf rounds out the field of contenders with an average of 309.4 and some strong performances this fall.
Rounding out the bottom of the MIAC leader board this fall are Macalester, which edged Carleton by a tenth of a shot for the No 8 spot. The Scots average 317.1 shots per round, while the Knighs are averaging 317.2, and Saint Mary's rounds out the final spot with an average of 331.3.
A big reason for the anticipated parity in 2014 is the amount of returning talent back with big-time championship experience. Nine of the top 11 golfers return from the 2013 MIAC Championships, and 11 golfers who earned All-Conference honors in 2013-14 will be competing in this weekend's field.
The returning stars start with a pair of former MIAC Championship medalists looking to add to their resume's. Last year's winner, Saint John's Ryan Draxler, returns after shooting a 2-over-par 218 in 2013 to win the title. St. Thomas star Alex Kapraun - who tied for medalist honors as a freshman and finished second and sixth in his other two appearances - leads the MIAC with a 72.7 scoring average this fall.
Carleton's Ned Rohrbach takes the league's second-best scoring average into the tournament at 73.1, and he's followed on the leader board by a trio of Bethel teammates. AJ Oster (73.7), Grant Exsted (74.5) and Dillon John (75.0) are the three Royals to rank in the top five. A pair of Concordia teammates - Coy Papachek (75.0) and Cade Montplaisir (75.5) have also had outstanding falls, and St. Olaf's J.R. Shimpach (75.6), Bethel's Alex Case (75.7) and Saint John's Collin Seal (75.7) round out the MIAC's top 10. Last year, Rohrbach, John and Papachek all earned All-MIAC honors.
Also back are golfers who finished second, third and fourth last season and earned All-MIAC honors. Concordia's Landon Poss was the runner-up at the MIAC Championships, Augsburg's Brandon Jones was third and St. Thomas' Bennett Schroeder was fourth, and all return for their respective squads. Also back from last year's top 10 and All-MIAC team are sixth-place Drew Lynch of Saint John's, Concordia's Sam Christian (seventh) and St. Thomas' Alex Gabriel (eighth).
Other golfers to watch this weekend include Gustavus' Andrew Brandt and Matt Spier, who each carry a 76.8 scoring average into the tournament. Macalester's Drew Gumlia has been the Scots' top golfer this fall with a 77.1 average and two top-five finishes, and Saint Mary's will be led by Blake Westerberg and his 79.4 scoring average. Westerberg also has two top-five finishes and another in the top 10 this fall.
The three-day, 54-hole MIAC Golf Championships will tee off Saturday at 11:28 a.m. at Bunker Hills. Sunday's second round will also tee off at 11:28 a.m., and Monday's final round will tee off at 9 a.m. Spectators are welcome to attend and there is no admission fee, and spectators are encouraged to read and follow the tournament's spectator rules.
There will be a short awards ceremony following Monday's final round to honor the top teams and individuals. The championship team will receive the MIAC championship plaque, as well as the conference's automatic bid to the 2015 NCAA Division III Golf Championships. The top 10 individual finishers will be named to the All-Championship team, and will be automatically eligible for All-Conference honors in the spring.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
There are numerous ways fans that aren't traveling to Coon Rapids can follow all the action throughout the tournament. The MIAC is enhancing its (unofficial) live scoring, and now will offer hole-by-hole updates through Golfstat's live scoring system. Fans will easily be able to track team and individual progress throughout all three rounds.
The MIAC has a championship home page for the event, that will serve as the online home of the tournament. The championship page will include tee times, pairings and results as they become available, as well as recaps, photos and more.