NORTHEAST COMES UP JUST SHORT AT NORTH PLAINS DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP IN IOWA

WATERLOO, Iowa – The Northeast Community College men's golf team competed against the top teams in the region Monday and Tuesday as part of the North Plains District Championship in Waterloo, Iowa. The Hawks placed fifth in the event in what was their final tournament of the season.

Northeast got off to a blazing start on Monday and led throughout much of the first round. The tournament was conducted over 36 holes on Monday and 18 holes on Tuesday, and after the conclusion of play Monday night the Hawks were in a tie for third place.

Kirkwood Community College, Des Moines Area Community College, Iowa Central Community College, Alexandria Technical & Community College, Hawkeye Community College and Northeast were all ranked in the top 25 nationally entering the event. Only the top three finishing teams in the tournament from the North Plains District automatically advance to the 2024 NJCAA DII Men's Golf Championship in Joplin, Missouri, so the Hawks knew they would need to bring their best in an ultra-competitive district. The top three individual men's golfers whose teams do not qualify for the event also qualify for the national tournament.

Northeast made quite the run on the back-nine holes in Tuesday's final round with four freshmen in their lineup before ultimately coming up short in their bid for one of the coveted top-three spots. Gage Burns (Creighton, Neb.) birdied the 16th hole to put him in a tie for the final spot as an individual, but a bogey on the final hole of the 54-hole event would leave him just one stroke shy of qualifying position for the national tournament.

STAT SHEET:

Team: Fifth Place | Round 1: 300 Round 2: 294 Round 3: 304

Gage Burns (Creighton, Neb.): T11 | R1: 74 R2: 74 R3: 73

Gunther Soltvedt (Eagle, Colo.): T15 | R1: 75 R2: 74 R3: 77

Tyler Baumchen (Topeka, Kan.): T18 | R1: 75 R2: 74 R3: 78

Brett Leonard (Saskatchewan, Canada): T25 | R1: 76 R2: 73 R3: 80

Tanner Walling (Wayne, Neb.): T25 | R1: 80 R2: 73 R3: 76

HEAR FROM THE HAWKS COACH:

Head Men's Golf Coach Ty Heimes on how the tournament played out:

"We had a good week," Heimes said. "We got off to a great start on Monday morning and struggled to finish in the first round. We bounced back in the afternoon and played great to put us in position for Tuesday. We got off to a slow start on Tuesday but battled back on the back-nine holes. They fought all week. It stings not reaching our goal of the national tournament, but I'm proud of them."

Heimes on what he will remember about his 2024-25 team:

"They were a great group," Heimes said. "I really appreciated how hard they worked. They are very competitive. We bring back a great group next year and I'm very excited."

THANK YOU:

Northeast Athletics would like to extend a huge thank you to our sophomores, the families of our student-athletes, our amazing fans and all our supporters for making this year such a memorable one! We can't wait to see you in 2024-25!

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