United Athletic Conference

Kansas City's McCain Schellhardt has been named Western Athletic Conference Men's Golfer of the Week for March 13 to March 19.

 

Schellhardt, a junior from Edmond, Okla. (Edmond Memorial HS), tied for medalist honors and helped the Roos win the team title at the GCU Invitational in Phoenix. The defending WAC individual champion fired three sub-par rounds to finish in a tie with Columbia's Derek Kim for top honors. After firing a 2-under-par 69 to open the tournament, he shot back-to-back rounds of 3-under-par 68 to finish 8-under-par for 54 holes. As a team, UMKC ran way with the title, finishing 23-under-par to win by 14 strokes over second-place UT Rio Grande Valley.

 

Other men's nominees: Grand Canyon's Trevor Lampson led the host Lopes at the GCU Invitational, shooting a 2-under-par to finish tied for 19th … UT Rio Grande Valley's Alvaro Hernandez led the Vaqueros to a second-place finish at the GCU Invitational, shooting a 3-under-par 210 to tie for 14th place.

 

Three teams will be in action this week as NM State and UT Rio Grande Valley remember the Alamo at the Big Texan Invitational in San Antonio. Seattle U migrates south to Eugene, Ore. for the Duck Invitational.

 

Grand Canyon holds the top team stroke average at 288.9 through 27 rounds. Kansas City is a close second at 289.2, followed by UT Rio Grande Valley in third at 290.2. Individually, Kansas City's McCain Schellhardt has the top stroke average at 71.7 per round. UT Rio Grande Valley's Alvaro Hernandez is second at 72.0, followed by California Baptist's Ben Hallam (72.2), Grand Canyon's Filip Lundell (82.2) and Kansas City's Vitek Novak (72.4).

 

It's been a winning 2018-19 around the WAC with four teams and six individuals earning the top spot in several different tournaments. In the fall, NM State won the team title and Mike McGilton won medalist honors at their own Herb Wimberly Intercollegiate. UT Rio Grande Valley took home the team title at the Brooks Invitational, led by medalist Tae Itthiratchia. 

 

The spring has already seen four individual champions as GCU's Filip Lundel won the UC Irvine Invitational, UTRGV's Tennoshin Ogawa won the La Tour Intercollegiate and Chicago State's Austin Dobrescu won the Alabama State Spring Kickoff. The UTRGV men's team also took home the team title at the La Tour Intercollegiate, giving the Vaqueros a pair of wins this season. Most recently, Kansas City's McCain Schellhardt tied for medalist honors to lead the Roos to the team title at the GCU Invitational.

 

California Baptist is the newest member of the Western Athletic Conference as the Lancers begin the four-year transition to NCAA Division I. While CBU will not be eligible to compete for the team title until the 2023 WAC Championship, the Lancers will be able to compete as individuals at the WAC Championship. 

 

The 2018 WAC Men's Golf Championship heads to the Pacific Northwest and Oakbrook Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash. Built in 1966, Oakbrook Golf Club features hundreds of oak trees and immaculate turf conditions. In 2012, Oakbrook opened its doors to the public after 56 years of private operations. Ryan Moore, PGA Tour professional and Tacoma native, brings his knowledge of championship golf to Oakbrook Golf Club through Ryan Moore Golf ownership, to continually improve the golf course and elevate the overall guest experience.