PORTLAND, Ore.—After winning their first tournament in at least 18 years, Lewis & Clark College men's golf is headed to Eastern Washington for the Northwest Conference Spring Classic this weekend. 
 
The Pioneers will compete in the NWC Spring Classic on Sunday and Monday in Walla Walla, Washington and then travel to McMinnville, Oregon for the Northwest Conference Championship Tournament on April 20-21. These two tournaments, combined with the NWC Fall Classic, determine the final NWC Standings and the NWC All-Conference Teams.  
 
This weekend's rounds will kick off at 9:30 a.m. on both days.
 
NORTHWEST CONFERENCE PRESEASON POLL
 
Men's golf was projected to finish seventh in the NWC Preseason Coaches' Poll after placing seventh at the NWC Fall Classic. The Pioneers earned 20 points, to narrowly finish ahead of eighth-place University of Puget Sound (17) and ninth-place Pacific University (six). 
 
2023 NWC Champions Willamette University earned five first-place votes to barely edge 2024 NWC Champions Whitman College (three first-place votes). The Bearcats, who won the NWC Fall Classic by five strokes, earned 60 points and finished ahead of Whitman by one (59 points). Linfield University (one first-place vote) and Whitworth University were a close third and fourth as they posted 46 and 44 points respectively. Pacific Lutheran University (39) and George Fox University (31) placed fifth and sixth overall. 
 
RECAPPING THE NWC FALL CLASSIC
 
Lewis & Clark got off a strong start and were sitting in the top-three in the NWC Standings for most of Day One, before finishing their first round in a tie for sixth with Whitworth at +5 (293). The Pioneers notched a 303 (+15) on Day Two and ultimately finished the tournament seventh overall with a two-day score of 596 (+20). Four of the Pioneers five players were playing in their first NWC Tournament and three were competing in a collegiate conference event for the first time. 
 
First year Charlie Hageman ended the tournament in a five-way tie for eighth place at -1. He shot a 74 (+2) in the first round and delivered a career-low, three-under 69 on Day Two (143 total). Senior captain Jon Westlake came in a tie for 19^th with a score of 146 (+2). He shot back-to-back 73s (+1). Sophomore transfer Luke Blankinship came in just behind Westlake in a tie for 21st. Blankinship carded a team-low round of 69 (-2) on Day One and a 78 (+6) on Day Two to finish with a 147 (+3). First year Tanner Moody finished 40^th overall with a score of 160 (+16). He posted a 77 (+5) on Day One and an 83 (+11) the next day. First year Mason Hill did not register a score on Day One after getting an incorrect rule judgement. He came back on Day Two and finished with an 84 (+12). 
 
The NWC Fall Classic was a two-team battle between Willamette (562, -14) and Whitman (567, -9). Both teams shot a 277 (-11) on Day One but Whitman turned in a 285 (-3) to win the tournament by five strokes. Linfield finished in third place with a pair of even-par 288s (576). The Pioneers are in striking distance of Pacific Lutheran (582, +6), Whitworth (583, +7) and George Fox (589, +13). Puget Sound (605, +29) and Pacific (629, +53) each finished behind Lewis & Clark.
 
RECAPPING THE SEASON  
 
This year's team features three returners and six new student-athletes (four first years and two transfers). Men's golf has put together a ton of strong individual performances but struggled to put together eight solid rounds in a tournament. The team may have finally turned the corner in their past two tournaments. 
 
Lewis & Clark posted four of their best 10 rounds of the season at the Kingsmen Invitational in California and the George Fox Invitational. The Pioneers placed ninth out of 14 teams at the Kingsmen Invitational but posted a tournament score of 604 (+28), that put them just two strokes out of fourth place in a loaded field. Men's Golf finished ahead of one nationally-ranked team and 16 strokes ahead of Pacific Lutheran. Two weeks later, the Pioneers won the George Fox Invitational after posting their best round of the season (282, -2) on Day Two. The Pioneers went from fifth place after Day One, to winning the tournament (581, +13) by three strokes. They finished ahead of NWC schools Whitman (584, +16), Linfield (586, +18), George Fox (589, +21), Willamette (589, +21) and Whitworth (591, +23). 
 
Hageman, Blankinship and first year Joonho Moon all are averaging a round score of +3 on the season. Hageman has posted a team-low average of 74.59 and recorded five rounds of par or lower. He shot a season-low round of 69 (-3) at the NWC Fall Classic and has finished in the top-10 of five of the nine events he's played this year. Blankinship is just behind Hageman with an average round of 74.75. He also shot a 69 (-3) at the NWC Fall Classic and has turned in four rounds of par of better. The sophomore has notched one top-five finish and two top-10 showings, including leading the Pioneers at the George Fox Invitational by finishing tied for fourth. Moon will be making his NWC event debut after not qualifying for the Pioneers lineup in the Fall. He averaged a 75.08 and has recorded two top-five finishes and placed in the top-10 in three of his seven tournaments. He has shot an even-par 72 on two occasions and led Lewis & Clark with a 72 (+1) at the Langdon Tri Meet. 
 
Hill and Westlake will be Lewis & Clark's final two members of the lineup at the NWC Fall Classic. Hill has been much more consistent this spring, as he's finished in the 70s in all five rounds he's played. The first year ranks fourth on the team with an average round score of 77.21 (+5). He opened his collegiate career by shooting an even-par 72 at the Pines Cup and finished tied for third at the Langdon Trip Meet with a 74 (+3). Westlake is the most experienced member of the squad this weekend. He joined the team as a sophomore and will be playing in his eighth-straight NWC event. His average round of 77.76 (+6) is fifth-best on the squad. He shot a career-best 69 (-2) in the second round of the George Fox Invitational. 
While they won't be competing this weekend, sophomore Kenji Pickeral, Moody and juniors Ben Oates and Millen Mistry all will have a chance to make the lineup for the NWC Tournament. Pickeral turned in a career-low round of 77 (+5) on Day Two of the Kingsmen Invitational in his last event. Moody shot a season-low 70 (-1) at the George Fox Invitational to help lead the comeback on Day Two. Mistry (80.73) and Oates (81.89) have both posted career-low averages this season and have plenty of NWC Tournament experience. 
 
THREE THINGS TO KNOW 

1. The final NWC standings will be determined by a combined stroke total from all three NWC Tournament events. The team with the lowest aggregate score will be crowned NWC Champion and earn an automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division III Golf National Championship. The top-six student-athletes by points will earn First Team All-Conference honors. The student-athletes who finish seventh through 12th will be named to the Second Team All-Conference Team. Points are awarded for the top 12 finishers at the three conference tournaments that determine conference standings. At the Northwest Conference Championship, points are doubled for the top 12 placements.
2. Men's golf has finished in eighth or ninth place in the NWC Standings in every season dating back to 2018-19. The Pioneers finished in a tie for seventh in 2017-18 thanks to a sixth-place finish in the NWC Tournament. The 2016-17 team placed fifth overall and earned a top-four finish at the NWC Fall Classic (fourth place). The program hasn't finished in the top-three in the NWC Standings at an event or overall, since 1988 when they recorded a three-day score of 1247 to finish behind Pacific Lutheran and Willamette. This year's team has finished ahead of every team in the conference in at least one tournament this year and just beat five of the six teams picked ahead of them at the George Fox Invitational. 
3. The program is looking for its first All-Conference honoree(s) since the 2016-17 season. That year, Drew Groshong ('17) and Robert Wang ('19) each were named to the NWC First Team.