By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University men's golf team is tied for second place in the Northwest Conference standings entering the 2015 NWC Tournament, set for Saturday, April 25 and Sunday, April 26 at Crosswater Golf Club in Sun River, Oregon.

Each year, the NWC uses a combination of three tournaments to determine the overall team champion. The NWC Fall Classic is worth one-fourth of the title and the NWC Spring Classic is worth one-fourth. The NWC Tournament counts for the final half of the title.

Whitworth University, which won both the NWC Fall Classic and the NWC Spring Classic, holds first place in the overall standings with 16 points. Willamette and Pacific Lutheran University are tied for second placed with 13 points. Linfield College is fourth with nine points.

The Bearcats placed second at the NWC Fall Classic and were third at the NWC Spring Classic. PLU was third at the Fall Classic and second at the Spring Classic. In each case, the Bearcats and the Lutes were separated by just one stroke in the standings.

Whitworth won the Fall Classic title at Chehalem Glenn Golf Course with a score of 610 (310-300). Willamette's score was 618 (305-313), while Pacific Lutheran finished at 619 (313-306). Linfield College was fourth at 632 (314-318).

At the Spring Classic, held at the Olympia Country & Golf Club, Whitworth took first place at 608 (308-300). Pacific Lutheran placed second at 625 (315-310) and Willamette was third at 626 (310-316). University of Puget Sound placed fouth at 634 (322-312).

Senior Ryan Kukula (Ocean Park, WA/Ilwaco HS) of Willamette tied for second place in the individual standings at the Fall Classic and tied for fifth at the Spring Classic.

In the fall, Kukula carded a 148 (73-75). Drew Groshong of Lewis & Clark College won medalist honors at 147 (72-75). In the spring, Kukula shot 151 (75-76). Taylor Klopp of Linfield took first place at 147 (76-71) during the Spring Classic, after winning a tie-breaker against Samson Martinez of Whitworth, who also shot 147 (73-74).

Clark Wilson (So., Ocean Park, WA/ Ilwaco HS) shot 156 (74-82) for the Bearcats to tie four other golfers for 11th place at the Fall Classic. Steven Rodriguez (Jr., Red Bluff, CA/Mercy HS) of Willamette placed 12th at the Spring Classic with a score of 156 (77-79).

Also competing for Willamette at the Spring Classic were Jonathan Ross (Sr., Tukwila, WA/Foster HS), Peter Mitzel (So., Red Bluff, CA/Red Bluff HS) and Wilson. Ross carded a 160 (79-81) to place 16th. Mitzel and Wilson each shot 162 to tie for 19th, with Mitzel recording 79-83 and Wilson earning 82-80.

This Saturday's tee times for Willamette at the NWC Tournament start with Kukula at 10:30 a.m. (PDT). Wilson will tee off at 10:39 a.m., followed by Ross at 10:48 a.m., Rodriguez at 10:57 a.m. and Mitzel at 11:06 a.m.