4 Yellowjackets earn all-GNAC in women’s golf

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, May 2, 2017 4 Yellowjackets earn all-GNAC in women’s golf

Bailee Dexter, Sammy Walter, Shealyn Hafer, and Kortney McNeil are all second-team all-GNAC selections in women’s golf announced Tuesday.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Placing four of its players on the Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-league second team, the Montana State University Billings women’s golf squad was well-represented within the conference awards announced Tuesday.

Juniors Bailee Dexter and Sammy Walter, and sophomores Kortney McNeil and Shealyn Hafer were all named secondteam all-GNAC picks, as the Yellowjackets had the most all-league golfers in the GNAC. “It is great to have four players achieve all-conference honors for our program,” said MSUB head coach Kevin Woodin. “A major strength of our team was our overall depth, and this validates it. All of them played well and had very solid seasons.”

Walter was MSUB’s top golfer on the season, ranking seventh in the GNAC with a scoring average of 79.1. She competed in all nine events and 17 rounds for the ‘Jackets, and earned all-league honors for the second time in her career after second-team recognition in 2014-15.

The junior’s season was highlighted by a first-place finish at the Western Washington University Invitational, where she shot a careerbest 72 in the opening round and followed with a 74 for a two-round total of 146. Her total tied the MSUB school record, and stood as the best two-round score of the season for the MSUB women. Overall Walter had four top-10 finishes and three top-5 finishes.

Dexter was also in the top-10 in the GNAC in scoring this season, with a stroke average of 79.5 per round. Like Walter, Dexter also played all 17 rounds and nine events for the ‘Jackets. She had four top-10 finishes and posted one top-5 finish, taking second at the Rocky Mountain College Invite in the fall.

Dexter’s low round of the year was a 74, and her two-round total of 150 at the RMC tournament was her career best.

Sophomore Kortney McNeil earned second-team allGNAC for the second year in-a-row.

McNeil finished the year on fire, with a score of 75 or better in three of her final four rounds of the season. The sophomore tied for third place at the GNAC Championships last week, firing a personal season-low round of 73 in the final and carding a two-round total of 154.

McNeil ranked third on the team overall with a scoring average of 79.88, and her best two-round total of the season was a 150 after back-to-back rounds of 75 at the Western New Mexico Invite on April 10-11. The Billings native had four top10 finishes and a pair of top-5 finishes in her second season at MSUB. She earned second-team all-league recognition for the second straight season.

With a breakout season in 2016-17, Hafer also played in all 17 rounds and nine events for the Yellowjackets. She finished with an even 80.0 scoring average in her second year as a Yellowjacket, and notched a season-low round of 75 at the Beaver-Jacket Invite in Las Vegas on March 10. Hafer’s best two-round performance was a 154 (76-78) at the RMC Invite in the fall, a mark that stands as her career best.

Emily Leung of Simon Fraser University was selected as the GNAC Player of the Year, and former Clan head coach John Buchanan was posthumously named GNAC Coach of the Year. Cammie Decker of Concordia University and Jaya Rampuri of Simon Fraser University shared the GNAC Freshman of the Year award, and Shantel Antonio of Concordia was named the Newcomer of the Year.

MSUB’s four selections to the all-conference team were the most in the league, while Simon Fraser had three first-team selections.

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