Miele, Porter lead MSUB men at GNAC Golf Championships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, April 19, 2016 Miele, Porter lead MSUB men at GNAC Golf Championships

Junior Connor Miele finishes in a tie for 14th place to lead the MSUB men’s golf team at the 2016 GNAC Championships Tuesday.

COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Connor Miele led the Montana State University Billings men’s golf team at the 2016 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships, shooting a 77 Tuesday for a three-round total of 219 (72-70-77) to finish in a tie for 14th place at the Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Miele made three birdies in his final round, posting a 6-over-par after an even-par day on Monday. The Yellowjackets finished with a team score of 897 (303-296-298) to take sixth place at the tournament.

“The guys worked very hard out there and we just had a few too many doubles on our cards today,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “Otherwise, I felt that we had enough birdies to go lower than we did yesterday. Connor had a tremendous tournament, and he played extremely hard. His double on nine limited his momentum a bit, but he regrouped and had a very good GNAC tourney overall. He had a lot of birdies and his iron play was very good. I am proud of how he battled.”

Junior Michael Porter had his best round on Tuesday, as he shot an even-par 71 and finished with a 222 (76-75-71) for 21st place. Porter used four birdies in his final round to shoot par, as he improved each time through the course.

“Michael played a very good round of golf, and put together a lot of pars,” said Woodin. “His wedge game was very good, and that enabled him to continue to lower his scores. He got up-and-down several times, even though he wasn’t hitting the ball as well as I’ve seen him hit it. He was still able to score and get a lot out of his rounds, so that even-par today was impressive.”

Austin Walter finished in 25th with a 230 (80-75-75), Scott Larson came in 28th with a 237 (86-76-75), and Braden Luper rounded out the field for MSUB in 30th with a 240 (75-82-83). Walter and Larson each also showed improvement on the second day, playing the par-71, 6,803-yard course at 4over-par. Walter had three birdies in his final round, while Larson had a pair.

Western Washington won the team title and tied the GNAC Championships course record with a three-round total of 837 (276-279-282). WWU’s Brett Johnson won medalist honors and broke both the GNAC record for singleround score (64) and three-round total with a 203 (64-73-66).

Freshman Austin Walter shot a 75 in his final round at the GNAC Championships and finished in 25th place overall for the Yellowjacket men.

“Our men’s team is very young as we don’t have any seniors,” Woodin said.

“I would’ve liked to have finished higher, but I know our players worked hard, and they know how much we need to improve in order to compete at a high level. I was very impressed with the level of play in the GNAC, seeing it up close for the first time. I’d like to thank Coach Rhett Hightower and Coach Marcus Drange for their assistance throughout the season.”

THE BUZZ: Porter was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…the 71 was Porter’s sixth round at par or better this season.

2016 GNAC Men’s Golf Championships – Final Results Coeur d’Alene Resort | Coeur d’Alene, Idaho | April 19, 2016 Team – 1. Western Washington, 837 (276-279-282); 6. MSU Billings, 897 (303-296-298). Individuals – 1. Brett Johnson, WWU, 203 (64-73-66); T14. Connor Miele, MSUB, 219 (72-70-77); 21. Michael Porter, MSUB, 222 (76-75-71); 25. Austin Walter, MSUB, 230 (80-75-75); 28. Scott Larson, MSUB, 237 (86-76-75); 30. Braden Luper, MSUB, 240 (75-82-83).

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