By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – After claiming last week’s Great Northwest Athletic Conference Golf Championships team titles, the Western Washington men and Simon Fraser women were named the co-Athletic Solutions GNAC Team of the Week winners on Monday.
 
The Viking men won their conference-record 12th team title, while the Red Leaf women won their fourth-consecutive crown and tied Western Washington for the most-ever women’s trophies with their seventh overall. The GNAC Championships were held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course April 20-22.
 
On the men’s side, Western Washington put together three solid rounds for a score of 855 (274-279-302), winning the trophy by a comfortable 18 strokes ahead of runner-up Saint Martin’s. The Vikings started the week off in impressive fashion, notching a 10-under-par 274 in the first round to finish just one stroke off the GNAC Championships single-round team record. WWU followed with a 5-under-par 279 in the second round, building what proved to be an insurmountable advantage.
 
All five of Western Washington’s players finished in the top-12 among the field of 25 competitors, with a pair of them being named to the all-tournament team with top-five finishes. Rex Wilson was WWU’s top performer at the event, tying for second place overall. Wilson carded a three-round score of even-par 213 (70-69-74), racking up 11 birdies across the 54-hole event. Scores of 1-under-par 70 in the opening round and 2-under-par 69 in the second round kept him in title contention, and he battled unfavorable weather conditions in the final round to post a 3-over-par 74 to help anchor the team victory.
 
Tying for fifth place was WWU’s Christopher Zamani, who completed a three-round score of 2-over-par 215 (66-73-76). Zamani started the championship on fire, making a 5-under-par 66 in the first round which tied for the lowest single-round score by any player at the event. Conrad Brown logged a seventh-place finish, just one stroke behind Zamani at 3-over-par 216 (72-69-75). Brown’s best effort came on the second day of the tournament, where he made four birdies on his way to a 2-under-par 69.
 
Rounding out the field of five players for the Vikings were ninth-place finisher Nick Ennis and 12th-place finisher Peter Dionne-Yahr. Each had major contributions to WWU’s final team score, starting with Dionne-Yahr in the opening round. The senior matched Zamani with a 5-under-par 66, posting five birdies and 13 pars on the way to his best round of the tournament. It was Ennis’s turn to step up on the second day, as he made five birdies on the way to a 3-under-par 68 for his best round of the tournament. Ennis finished with a three-round score of 219 (74-68-77) and Dionne-Yahr was close behind with a 221 (66-78-77).
 
Luke Bennett is in his 12th season leading the WWU men’s golf program, which most recently won the conference tournament title in 2024. The Vikings were announced as the No. 1 overall seed into the upcoming NCAA West/South Central Regional Championships, running May 7-9 in Stockton, Calif. Also advancing to the regional championship to represent the conference were the Simon Fraser men’s team and Rasmus Tamker of Saint Martin’s, who earned an individual regional berth.
 
For the Simon Fraser women, a four-peat was the goal and the squad delivered last week in Idaho. The Red Leafs ran away with a 25-stroke victory margin, posting a three-round total of 913 (303-302-308) in the first-ever 54-hole women’s championship. SFU had the lowest team score on each of the three days of the tournament, opening up with a 303 to build a six-shot advantage. The big difference came amid a wet final round, when SFU managed a 308 with the next-closest team score being runner-up Seattle Pacific’s 321.
 
Like the WWU men, SFU’s entire lineup contributed and finished within the top-11 among a field of 29 players. Senior Izzy Ferguson led the charge with a runner-up finish on the leaderboard, posting a three-round score of 226 (77-76-73). Ferguson saved her best round for last, finishing with a 1-over-par 73 and just one stroke behind medalist Lauren Lee of Seattle Pacific.
 
Dana Smith earned her third-consecutive all-tournament finish at the event, placing third with a score of 227 (76-73-78). Smith kept her name in contention for her second-career individual GNAC title, using a 1-over-par 73 in the second round to ascend the leaderboard and solidify her top finish. Meera Minhas, the 2025 individual champion, also earned a top-five finish as she tied for fourth place with a 228 (73-78-77). Minhas’s best effort came in the opening round as she made three birdies on her way to a 1-over-par 73.
 
Placing 10th in her first GNAC Championships appearance was SFU’s Cadence Ko, who notched a 234 (77-77-80). Anaya Bhandal was just one stroke behind in 11th place with a 235 (78-76-81), as that duo also did its part in helping secure another championship trophy for the Red Leafs. SFU is led by head coach Krysta Schaus, who is in her second year directing both the women’s and men’s golf programs.
 
Simon Fraser was the lone women’s team from the GNAC to earn a spot in the upcoming NCAA West Region Championships, which run May 4-6 in Pueblo, Colo. Joining SFU as individual qualifiers from the conference will be Western Washington’s Lauren Lee and Montana State Billings’s Orraya Tipasathien.
 
GNAC Team of the Week presented by Athletic Solutions
Athletic Solutions was introduced as an official partner of the GNAC on Dec. 8, 2025 and it will sponsor the GNAC Team of the Week award. Athletic Solutions is a national leader in NIL fan engagement and e-commerce technology, collaborating with colleges and universities to bring NIL Locker Rooms to life. Its platform simplifies NIL opportunities, providing student-athletes with the tools and exposure needed to thrive in the evolving landscape of college athletics.