No. 11/12 Saint John's golf hosts its annual spring invitational this Saturday-Sunday, April 27-28. The opening round begins with tee times at 10 a.m. Saturday at Wapicada G.C. (par 72) in Sauk Rapids, followed by a 9 a.m. shotgun on Sunday at Monticello C.C. (par 71). – Live Results

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's won Gustavus Adolphus' Bobby Krig Invitational last weekend (April 20-21). The Johnnies posted Sunday's best round – a 5-over par 285 – to win the 14-team tournament with a two-round score of 581 (+17). No. 22 Wisconsin-Eau Claire was 13 shots back in second (+30, 594), followed by Bethel's second team (+37, 601) and the host Gusties in fourth (+38, 602). 

All five Johnnies finished in the tournament's top 14. SJU led the field by 14 shots with a +18 on the par-4 holes and went a collective -8 on the par-5's.

Seniors Sam Berger (Waconia, Minn.), Mark Longhenry (Bloomington, Minn./Holy Angels) and Nate Loxtercamp (Richmond, Minn./Melrose Area) tied for third out of 84 golfers with a two-day total of 145 (+4). bogeyed his first two holes of the day but responded with six birdies to finish with a 1-under par 69 for his sixth round at par or better this season. Loxtercamp carded a 1-over par 71 and Berger collected a 72 (+2).

Senior Blake Schuler (Waconia, Minn.) and junior Andrew Boemer (Eagan, Minn./St. Thomas Academy) tied for 14th with a 148 (+7). Schuler registered four birdies Sunday and posted a 73 (+3), while Boemer rounded out the Johnnies' five with a 74 (+4).

SJU Blue finished ninth with a 615 (+51) and was led by sophomore Ethan Kress (Woodbury, Minn.), who carded a 73 (+3) to tie with Boemer and Schuler for 14th overall.

NATIONAL RANKINGS: SJU moved up two spots to No. 11 in the Clippd rankings posted Wednesday (April 24). The Johnnies stayed at No. 12 in the latest Bushnell/Golfweek Division III Coaches' Top 25 poll released two weeks ago (April 12).

WHO WILL BE HERE: The Johnnies (three teams) are scheduled to be joined by Augsburg (two teams), No. 10/19 Bethel (two teams), Carleton, Concordia-Moorhead, Gustavus Adolphus (two teams), Macalester, St. Olaf, St. Scholastica and Wisconsin-Superior to form the 84-man field.

THE LINEUPS: Sixteen Johnnies are scheduled to compete this weekend.

SJU Red
1. Sam Berger (73.9 avg. in 20 rounds)
2. Andrew Boemer (74.0 avg. in 20 rounds)
3. Blake Schuler (75.2 avg. in 20 rounds)
4. Nate Loxtercamp (72.7 avg. in 20 rounds)
5. Mark Longhenry (74.8 avg. in 20 rounds)

SJU Blue
1. Nate Appelhof (77.8 avg. in 11 rounds)
2. Ethan Kress (74.9 avg. in 11 rounds)
3. Gus Briguet (75.9 avg. in nine rounds)
4. Cole Proctor (75.6 avg. in seven rounds)
5. Tim Fultz (79.0 avg. in six rounds)

SJU White
1. Parker Bartels (75.5 avg. in two rounds)
2. Thomas Ellis (76.3 avg. in four rounds)
3. Mason Sunder (74.0 avg. in two rounds)
4. Nate Bauer (87.5 avg. in two rounds)
5. David Miller (82.0 avg. in four rounds)

Individual
-Will Gruidl (80.3 avg. in seven rounds)

LAST YEAR'S TOURNAMENT: SJU battled windy conditions to a win last year's spring invitational on April 29 (Lynx National G.C. in Sauk Centre)-April 30 (Monticello C.C.). The Johnnies entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Wisconsin-Eau Claire and proceeded to post a 303 (+19) – the day's third-best score – to the Blugolds' 314 (+30) for the 12-shot win (+21/593 to +33/603). Carleton finished third (+36, 608) and UWEC's second team was fourth (+38, 610). Winds at Monticello C.C. were consistent at 25+ MPH with gusts between 30-40 MPH.

Boemer led the 16 Johnnies with a 3-over par 74 during the final round to tie for second out of 100 golfers with a two-day total of 146 (+3). He led the field by shooting even-par on the 19 par-4 holes and tied with four others for the tournament lead with seven birdies over the two rounds.

Schuler ended in a tie for fifth with a 148 (+5) and Thomas Gutzmer '23 tied for ninth at 149 (+6). Schuler posted a 76 in the final round, while Gutzmer led the Johnnies with four birdies.

Loxtercamp carded his second-consecutive 75 (+4) to tie for 14th (+7, 150).

Junior Will Gruidl (Edina, Minn./Minnehaha Academy) led SJU Blue, which claimed 12th (+54, 626), with a 155 (+12) to tie for 25th. SJU White placed 14th (+61, 633) and was led by sophomore Gus Briguet (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge) in a tie for 39th (+14, 157).

SJU'S COURSE RECORDS
Wapicada G.C. (par 72)
E - Sammy Schmitz, Saint John's Fall Invitational (Sept. 15, 2001)
+1 - Nathan Proshek, Saint John's Fall Invitational (Sept. 16, 2000)

Monticello C.C. (par 71)
-4 - Ryan Gallagher, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 26, 2015; round 1)
-4 - Casey Vangsness, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 22, 2011; round 1)
-4 - Matt Bohlig, St. Cloud State Dual (April 18, 2008)
-4 - Joe Schoolmeesters, St. Cloud State Dual (April 18, 2008)
-4 - Andrew Longbella, Gustavus Dual (April 29, 2007)
-4 - Joe Schoolmeesters, Gustavus Dual (April 29, 2007)
-3 - Mack Farley, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 26, 2015; round 1)
-3 - Casey Vangsness, Saint John's Winter Invitational (April 28, 2013)
-3 - Tony Krogen, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 22, 2011; round 2)
-3 - Paul Ponath, Saint John's Fall Invitational (Sept. 16, 2001)
-3 - Matt McGovern, St. Cloud State Dual (April 25, 2001)
-2 - Thomas Gutzmer, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 25, 2021)
-2 - Drew Lynch, Saint John's Winter Invitational (April 28, 2013)
-2 - Alex Klehr, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 29, 2012)
-2 - Alex Wagner, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 29, 2012)
-2 - Mark Giorgi, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 25, 2010; round 2)
-2 - Josh Sherlin, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 21, 2003; round 2)
-2 - Nathan Proshek, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 21, 2003; round 1)
-2 - Karsten Williams, St. Cloud State Dual (April 25, 2001)
-1 - Wes Dickhaus, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 24, 2016; round 2)
-1 - Austin Fowler, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 29, 2013)
-1 - Drew Lynch, Saint John's Winter Invitational (April 28, 2013)
-1 - Casey Vangsness, Saint John's Winter Invitational (April 28, 2013)
-1 - Andy Stahlman, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 29, 2012)
-1 - Dennis Granath, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 29, 2012)
-1 - Ben Vangsness, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 25, 2010; round 2)
-1 - Joe Daly, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 27, 2008)
-1 - Joe Schoolmeesters, Saint John's Spring Invitational (April 27, 2008)
-1 - Clinton Dammann, Gustavus Dual (April 29, 2007)
-1 - Sammy Schmitz, Saint John's Fall Invitational (Sept. 16, 2001)