Henderson State freshman Trey DePriest has a three-shot lead after the first round of the Great American Conference Men's Golf Championships tournament Sunday at the Hot Springs Country Club, while the Reddie women sit nine strokes behind the leaders in their tournament.
DePriest, a graduate of Buffalo Island Central, posted a 5-under-par 67 in the opening round as Henderson finished the day with a team score of 289, one over par. Northwestern Oklahoma State followed closely behind at 291.
Henderson posted an opening round team score of 310 in the GAC Women's Golf Championships, good for third place behind Arkansas Tech's 301 and Southwestern Oklahoma State's 306. Senior Allison Davis, of Silsbee, Texas, and junior Luisa Gartmann, from Hannover, Germany, led the Reddies as they both tied for sixth place out of 43 competitors finishing with a round of 76.
The conference held its awards banquet Saturday at the country club to recognize the top student-athletes from this year's golf season.
Arkansas Tech junior Peerada Piddon, a graduate of Bhadungsit Pieeaga in Bangkluay, Thailand, was named the GAC Women's Player of the Year. Piddon's 1-under-par 71 led the first-place Golden Suns and the field. She recorded birdies on three of the first five holes and leads the tournament with five birdies.
Southeastern Oklahoma State redshirt junior Zach James, a graduate of Whitesboro High School in Texas, was named the Men's Player of the Year. James finished the first round with a 1-under-par 71 for fourth place in the men's standings.
Henderson sophomore Nick Shapiro, out of Plano West High School in Texas, made the All-GAC Second Team and Kevin Boutier, from Montrouge, France, received honorable mention.
Senior Sarah Wright, of Fayetteville, and sophomore Taylor Loeb, out of Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, each earned Second Team honors. Junior Hannah Brauburger, from Bentonville, and Gartmann each received honorable mention.
Day one of the championships began with a two-hour delay after heavy rain fell overnight. The 10-team field had to contend with a saturated course along with brisk winds and cool temperatures.
DePriest began the day 3-over par after the first three holes, but went on to birdie four of the next five and go out in 35 on the front side. The freshman from Monette added four more birdies on the back side, finishing his round with three straight.
Lakeside graduate Cameron McRae, Mitchell Ford and Shapiro are tied for 15th after carding rounds of 74 on the par-72, 6,713-yard Hot Springs Country Club Arlington Course.
McRae was 2-over on the front side, but shot even-par on the second nine, while Ford had four birdies for his round. Shapiro, the defending GAC medalist, had a tough start, going 3-over on the front nine with no birdies, but rebounded on the back side collecting three birdies. Boutier turned in a 6-over 78 on day one and is tied for 34th-place.
The other men's scores from the opening day were Arkansas-Monticello, 298; Southeastern, 298; Southwestern, 298; Oklahoma Baptist, 299; Harding, 304; Southern Arkansas, 307; and Southern Nazarene, 309.
Henderson's Davis began her day going out in 35 on the opening nine with birdies on the second and third holes. Fighting through the wind on the back nine, Davis was 5-over par for a second nine score of 41.
Gartmann carded a 38 on both sides and totaled 11 pars for her round.
Loeb is tied for 10th after carding a 77 on the par 72, 5,932-yard Hot Springs Country Club Park Course. Brauburger opened the tournament with an 81 and is tied for 25th, while Wright is tied for 31st following a round of 83.
Other scores from the women's tournament were Southern Arkansas, 317; Oklahoma Baptist, 318; Arkansas-Monticello, 318; Southern Nazarene, 327; Northwestern, 332; and Harding, 332.
Round two of the 54-hole event was scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. today with the final round set for Tuesday.
Sports on 04/23/2018