Four GAC teams selected for Central Regional golf tourney

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Four Great American Conference teams will be representing the conference at the NCAA Central Region Tournament, three of which have advanced to the tournament for the last six seasons.

Arkansas Tech, Henderson State, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Baptist all received bids to the NCAA Division II Central Regional hosted by Lindenwood University. Oklahoma Baptist, ranked 11th in the 12-team tournament field, qualified for the tournament in its first year of eligibility since transitioning to Division II.

Arkansas Tech, which is ranked 24th in Golfstat’s Division II rankings, received an automatic bid to the tournament with last weekend’s win of the GAC Tournament held at the Hot Springs Country Club, its fourth-consecutive win.

The only team to place all five golfers in the top 20, Arkansas Tech’s Peerada Piddon was the individual medalist, breaking the conference tournament record by three strokes. The Golden Suns were ranked No. 2 in the 12team NCAA Division II Central Regional field, which was announced on Monday afternoon.

Henderson State won three events this year and finished third in the Great American Conference Women’s Golf Championships tournament a week ago at the Hot Springs Country Club. The Reddies were ranked No. 4

in the 12-team field.

Southwestern returns for its sixth consecutive trip to the regional tournament, finishing eighth or better in each of its previous trips. The Lady Bulldogs were ranked No. 3 entering the tournament.

All four teams will now travel to Saint Charles, Mo., and the Missouri Bluffs Golf Club, on May 7-9, in search of a berth to the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships in Houston. The top three teams at the conclusion of the 54-hole tournament will earn bids.

The Reddies finished third in the Central Regional in 2017 to earn their first ever trip to nationals, where they finished ninth in the nation. The Golden Suns won last year’s tournament, advancing to the national tournament for the third time since 2014, and the Lady Bulldogs look to return to the national tournament for the first time since 2014 as they finished second in the regional.

Junior Luisa Gartmann, from Hannover, Germany, was named to the GAC All-Tournament Team by tying for fourth place in the conference tournament. She is joined on the team by senior Allison Davis, of Silsbee, Texas; junior Han- na Brauburger, from Bentonville; sophomore Taylor Loeb, out of Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock; and senior Sarah Wright, of Fayetteville.