NJCAA National Championship FINAL RESULTS

May 25, 2024, JOPLIN, MO. – Grand Rapids Community College's golf season came to an abrupt end at the NJCAA Division II National Championship last week, but not before one of the best two-year runs in the history of the program.

Due to bad weather and course conditions, the tournament committee decided to have only the top-15 teams compete in the final two rounds of the tournament.  GRCC was tied for 18th after the first two rounds. This was the second time in the past three years the Raiders were unable to finish the tournament.

"Extremely proud to have coached this great group of sophomores who finished with one of the highest winning percentages in program history with 15 first place finishes in two years," coach John Forton said. "It was exciting to watch this group develop into champions."

Ten of those 15 victories came this year, including five of its six conference tournaments and the regional title.   

At the national championship, GRCC shot a 327 in the first round and a 315 in its final round. Its total of 642 was 16 strokes better than Muskegon Community College and 27 strokes better than Oakland Community College, who also represented Region XII in the national tournament. Mississippi Gulf Coast would go on to win the championship by three strokes.

Sophomore Hunter Schuiling led the Raiders with rounds of 81 and 76 to finish with a score of 157, and led the team with four birdies.

Back-to-back conference player of the year, Drew Harrington, shot a 76 in his one and only round, and had three birds.

McCoy DenHartigh (80), Jayson Bultman (83-84), Evan Kaiser (89-79) and Ty Marchlewski (83-85) rounded out the Raiders golfers.

GRCC won the MCCAA Western Conference championship this year, marking its 15th straight title, and 23rd overall. It also won the NJCAA Region XII championship for the 10th time and fourth time in its past five seasons.

Harrington was the Western Conference medalist for the second straight year after finishing all six conference events with a score of 454; 11 strokes better than Michael Klintsworth of Jackson. He also was the medalist at the Muskegon and Glen Oaks Invitational's. 

Bultman finished second in scoring average, 77.0, to Harrington's 75.7, but didn't qualify for All-Conference due to not playing in every conference tournament.  Schuiling was fourth in scoring average, 77.8, and didn't qualify either, but did earn All-Region honors after placing second at regionals.

Evan Kaiser, 78.5, and Marchlewski, 80.7, joined Harrington on the All-Conference team.  Kaiser won medalist honors at the Montcalm Invite and Marchlewski won it at the GRCC Invite. Marchlewski also was the medalist at two other non-conference events.

DenHartigh, 82.0, Brady Doyle, 82.5, and Zach Basiaga, 82.7, finished respectively in 13th, 14th and 15th in scoring average in the conference.  Doyle was also named to the conference's six-player All-Freshman team.

If you know anyone interested in joining the men's golf team next year, please have him fill out a questionnaire here. 

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Interested in supporting GRCC Athletics?  All donations can be done through GRCC Athletic's Scholarship Fund and can specify what scholarship fund the gift is going to, such as the Hofmann scholarship. If you have any questions on how to support Athletics at Grand Rapids Community College, contact the Athletic Department via phone at (616) 234-3883 or email grccathletics@grcc.edu. Any support is appreciated and goes towards assisting our student-athlete scholarship funds.