Wonder Boys, Golden Suns favored in GAC golf tourney

Arkansas Tech is poised to succeed threetime defending champion Henderson State in the Great American Conference men’s golf tournament this week.

The 54-hole tournament at Hot Springs Country Club begins today and with 18-hole rounds Monday and Tuesday on the Arlington course.

Arkansas Tech comes off a victory at the Natural State Classic, its third of the 2016-17 season. The Wonder Boys won the Northweastern State Classic and Henderson State Fall Invitational last fall, the latter on the Arlington course against six teams they will face this week.

Arkansas Tech finished second at 10-over

874 in last year’s GAC tournament with senior Austin Smith, of Russellville, tying for fifth at 2-under 214. The Wonder Boys won the

2013 GAC championship by one stroke over Southwestern Oklahoma.

Henderson ran away with the title in 2016 by 25 strokes with a tournament-record 849,

15 under par. Then-senior Brice Howard, a Lakeside High product, set a 54-hole record of

12-under 204, making the GAC all-tournament team for the third time at HSU.

HSU senior Drew Greenwood was GAC medalist in 2015 with rounds of 72, 71 and 72. The former Lakeside High player has participated in 28 tournaments at HSU, playing 17 rounds with a stroke average of 74.33. Ninth in last year’s GAC tournament at 1-over 217, Greenwood has a 73.76 stroke average this season.

HSU sophomore Cameron McRae, playing in his first GAC tournament, learned to play golf at HSCC and helped Lakeside win three state championships. Transferring from Arkansas State, McRae became eligible to play at HSU this spring, playing in five tournaments and with a high finish of ninth in the Dave

Falconer Classic.

Arkansas Tech’s women’s team looks for its third consecutive GAC title at HSCC, the Golden Suns coming off a victory at the Southern Bancorp Invitational followed by a third-place finish at the Central Region Spring Preview.

The Golden Suns won the 2015 GAC tournament by 50 strokes, rallying with a final-round 292 to repeat by 11 strokes last year. Danish-born Caroline Fredensborg (senior) and Anna Frandsen (sophomore) return from last year, when Frandsen shot a final-round 70 to tie the second-lowest round in GAC championship history.

Okla. Baptist tops Tigers for tennis title

BENTONVILLE — Top seed Oklahoma Baptist made its first trip to the Great American Conference men’s tennis championship a successful one, rallying past Ouachita Baptist

5-3 Saturday.

Ouachita led 2-1 after doubles, but Oklahoma Baptist pulled even after GAC Player of the Year Kevin Andrusch won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles. Ouachita pulled within 4-3 as Dan Kaplan claimed the Tigers’ lone singles win, 6-3,

6-3, at No. 4, before Gianluca Galdi secured the winning point at No. 5 singles, 6-4, 6-3.

Oklahoma Baptist (18-5) moves on to the National Christian College Athletic Association championships. Ouachita finished the season 6-14.

Harding ended Arkansas Tech’s season with a 5-3 victory in the women’s semfinals. Freshman Kami Ward, of Lake Hamilton, won at No. 3 singles, 6-1, 0-6, 6-4, and with Annabel Rowlands at No. 2 doubles, 8-2. Ward finished the season 19-13 in singles and 15-6 in doubles.