The nationally ranked Johnnie golf team aims for its fourth-straight conference title at the 2023 MIAC Championships this Saturday-Monday, Sept. 30-Oct. 2, at Rush Creek G.C. (par 72) in Maple Grove. – Live Results | Championships Website

TEE TIMES: The Johnnies are schedule to tee off at 11 a.m. Saturday. The pairings for Saturday's opening round were based on last year's results. Pairings for Sunday and Monday will be determined by the previous day's standings and scores.

AUTOMATIC BID ON THE LINE: The tournament's winner earns the conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Championship, which is scheduled for May 14-17 at Boulder Creek G.C. in Boulder City, Nev. SJU is scheduled to play the course next month (Oct. 29-31) for the NCAA Division III Preview.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's finished second out of 17 teams at Gustavus Adolphus' three-day Twin Cities Classic last Saturday-Monday (Sept. 23-25). Bethel won the tournament with a three-round score of 869 (+13). SJU shot a season-high +14 (294) Monday to finish with a three-day total of 878 (+22). Wisconsin-Eau Claire's second team fired Monday's best round – a 4-under par 276 – to take third (+27, 883). 

Seniors Nate Loxtercamp (Richmond, Minn./Melrose Area) and Blake Schuler (Waconia, Minn.) led SJU Monday with a 2-over par 72 each. Loxtercamp tied for third out of 104 golfers with a three-round total of 215 (+1) and Schuler led the tournament by going -8 on the par-5 holes to tie for 14th with a 221 (+7).

Senior Sam Berger (Waconia, Minn.) and junior Andrew Boemer (Eagan, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) added a 75 (+5) apiece, while senior Mark Longhenry (Bloomington, Minn./Holy Angels) rounded out the Johnnies' five with a 76 (+6). Boemer placed 18th at 222 (+8) and Berger was a shot behind in a tie for 19th (+9, 223).

Junior Cole Proctor (Brainerd, Minn.) led SJU Blue, which finished 12th with a 914 (+58), with a 74 (+4) Monday. He tied sophomore Ethan Kress (Woodbury, Minn.) for 38th with a 228 (+14), though sophomore Gus Briguet (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) bested them by one shot (+13, 227) to lead the team in a tie for 34th. All five golfers birdied the par-5 No. 16 for SJU Blue.

SJU, both the varsity and second team, tied the host Gusties for the tournament lead at -19 on the par-5 holes, but the Johnnies (+41) lost 18 shots to Bethel (+23) on the par-4's. The Royals carded a tournament-best 42 birdies to SJU's 41.

SJU'S MIAC CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY: The Johnnies have finished second or better at the MIAC Championships 19 of the last 24 seasons, including 14 conference titles. The last school to win four-consecutive MIAC title was Gustavus Adolphus, which claimed 11 straight from 1983-84 to 1994-95.

LAST FALL: Then-No. 21 Saint John's overcame a 10-shot deficit at the start of the final round to win its third consecutive title by 13 strokes at last year's MIAC Championships held Oct. 1-3 at Bunker Hills G.C. (par 72) in Coon Rapids. SJU entered the final round 10 shots behind Bethel (-1 to +9), but the five Johnnies combined for seven birdies and an eagle to go -8 through the first four holes, while the Royals went +5.

The trend continued as the Johnnies finished with a 3-under par 285 to the Royals' 308 (+20) to claim the program's 15th MIAC championship with an 870 (+6), 13 shots ahead of BU (+19, 883). Gustavus Adolphus was third (+33, 897) and Carleton was fourth (+38, 902).

Four of the five Johnnies finished in the top 10 to earn All-MIAC honors. Loxtercamp became the 13th Johnnie to earn medalist honors at the MIAC Championships with a three-round total of 210 (-6). The 2021 runner-up in 2021, Loxtercamp led SJU with four birdies, including three straight on Nos. 2-4, for a 70 (-2) and earn his third consecutive All-MIAC distinction.

Boemer matched Loxtercamp's 70 (-2) thanks to an eagle on No. 4 and a pair of birdies on the back nine. He finished third overall with a 218 (+2) in his first conference tournament. Berger recorded his third-consecutive, top-four finish at the MIAC Championships in fourth place with a 219 (+3). He tallied three birdies during the final round, including SJU's lone red mark on the final three holes (No. 17). 

Schuler carded an even-par 72 in the final round to tie for eighth with a three-day total of 223 (+7). The All-MIAC honor was his second consecutive. Thomas Gutzmer '23 posted SJU's lone drop score, a 2-over par 74, and tied for 16th with a 227 (+11). He was the first Johnnie on the course and set the tone right away with a birdie on No. 1.

SJU led the tournament with 41 birdies and went a collective -12 on the tournament's 12 par-5 holes.

WHO'S PLAYING: SJU is scheduled to send these five Johnnies to Maple Grove this weekend:

1. Berger (73.7 avg.)
2. Boemer (72.4 avg.)
3. Schuler (73.7 avg.)
4. Loxtercamp (72.0 avg.)
5. Longhenry (74.1 avg.)

SJU'S COURSE RECORDS: The Johnnies have recorded six individual rounds under par at Rush Creek G.C., including Kress' 70 earlier this month during the first round of the season.

-4 - Robert Cliff, Twin Cities Classic (Oct. 1, 2000)
-2 - Ethan Kress, Gustavus Adolphus Dual (Sept. 2, 2023)
-2 - Dennis Granath, Twin Cities Classic (Oct. 10, 2011)
-2 - Paul Ponath, Twin Cities Classic (Oct. 1, 2000)
-1 - Matt McGovern, Twin Cities Classic (Oct. 1, 2000)
-1 - Sammy Schmitz, Twin Cities Classic (Oct. 1, 2000)
E - Nathan Proshek, Twin Cities Classic (Oct. 1, 2000)