Women’s Golf concludes season at GPAC Championships

DAKOTA DUNES, S.D. – The 12-team Women's GPAC Championships wrapped up on Tuesday after 54 holes of play. Waldorf finished in a tie for 11th, shooting 1242 (420-417-405). 

Shelby Effle was top woman for the Warriors as she finished in solo 45th with rounds of 97-100-96. Effle recorded three birdies during the championship, including a 15-foot putt on her final hole to lock Waldorf in a tie with Midland in the final team standings. 

Ashlyn Gutierrez was eight shots behind Effle in 46th, shooting 102-100-99 on Dakota Dunes Country Club's par-73, 5,724-yard layout. The 15th hole was played as a par-5 for the week, accounting for the extra stroke on the card.

The freshman duo of Lindsay Clouse and Laynee Simpson finished T48th and 51st, respectively. Clouse completed her three loops in 111-105-104 while Simpson had rounds of 110-112-106.

Mark Clouse said of the tournament, "The ladies had a couple very long days of competition playing 27 holes of golf two days in a row. It's difficult to maintain focus for almost 11 hours, and they did a nice job on a challenging course. Day one saw winds gusting over 40 mph along with cold temperatures, so the weather was a big factor."

Morningside fired rounds of 323-313-317 to win the national tournament bid by 25 shots over runner-up Doane. Doane's third round 311 was the lowest of the tournament, but the deficit from the first two rounds proved too large to overcome. 

The individual race was tight throughout. Allison Meyerink of Dakota Wesleyan prevailed by two strokes over Morningside's Kamryn Zuniga, shooting a 14-over-par 233 over the course of the three rounds. DWU's Meyerink and Morningside will tee it up May 19-22 at Eagle Crest Golf Club in Ypsilanti, Michigan, as they compete for an NAIA title. 

The schedule originally called for 36 holes to be played on Monday and 18 on Tuesday; however, due to Monday's unfavorable weather forecast, coaches decided to play 27 holes both days to complete the 54-hole championship. 

WARRIORS AT THE EVENT

45. Shelby Effle (97-100-96-293)

46. Ashlyn Gutierrez (102-100-99-301)

T48. Lindsay Clouse (111-105-104-320)

51. Laynee Simpson (110-112-106-328)