MIAC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's junior Nate Loxtercamp (Richmond, Minn./Melrose Area) was named MIAC Men's Golf Co-Player of the Year, while senior Thomas Gutzmer (Jordan, Minn.) joined four teammates on the 2022-23 All-MIAC team and Bob Alpers '82 was named the MIAC Men's Golf Coach of the Year on Monday, May 8. 

Loxtercamp (medalist), sophomore Andrew Boemer (third; Eagan, Minn./St. Thomas Academy), junior Sam Berger (fourth; Waconia, Minn.) and junior Blake Schuler (t-eighth; Waconia, Minn.) achieved All-MIAC distinction by placing in the top 10 at the MIAC Championship held Oct. 1-3. 

The Johnnies have now had 31 All-MIAC honorees over the last seven seasons.

The 14th Johnnie to receive the MIAC's top honor and the first since Casey Vangsness '14 in 2014, Loxtercamp has averaged a 73.6 in 20 rounds this season. He is tied for second on the team with seven rounds at par or better and five top-10 finishes (three in the top two). The All-MIAC honor is the third-straight for Loxtercamp, who received the award via vote as a freshman and finished second at the 2021 (fall) MIAC Championships before he became the 13th Johnnie to earn medalist honors at the conference meet in October.

The All-MIAC honor is the third-consecutive for Gutzmer, who touts a 74.9 scoring average this season. He has five top-10 finishes this season and is averaging a 73.1 (+1.9) in seven rounds so far this spring.

Schuler currently leads SJU with a 73.6 scoring average (one shot better than Loxtercamp), two medalist performances, six top-10 finishes (in nine events) and eight rounds at par or better this season. The All-MIAC honor is the second-straight for Schuler, who shot a career-low 66 (-6) Sept. 24 at the first round of the Twin Cities Classic.

Berger is tied with Schuler for first on the team with four top-five finishes, tied with Loxtercamp for second with seven rounds at par or better and third with a 74.0 scoring average in 20 rounds this season. The All-MIAC distinction is the third for Berger, who has finished fourth or better at all three MIAC meets.

Boemer tallied his first All-MIAC honor with a third-place finish at the MIAC Championships in October. He has a 75.0 scoring average in 20 rounds this season, including a 74.1 average over the seven rounds this spring.

The conference's Coach of the Year honor is the 14th for Alpers, who is in his first season back as head coach after he relinquished the position he held for 28 years in 2021 to focus on his duties as SJU's athletic director. He guided the Johnnies to back-to-back NCAA Division III championships in 2007 and 2008, while his teams have won 13 MIAC titles and made 20 NCAA appearances. SJU finished in the top 10 at nationals 11 times (14 times in the top 15) and has produced 33 All-Americans and 47 Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Scholar All-Americans during his tenure as head coach.

No. 14 SJU makes its 20th team appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships next Tuesday-Friday, May 16-19, at Keene Trace G.C. (par 72) in Nicholasville, Ky.