UNI men's golf opens 2022 spring season at Valpo Invite in Arizona

Monday, February 28

Dove Mountain; Tucson, Arizona

University of Northern Iowa

Valpo Invite

UNI men's golf opens 2022 spring season at Valpo Invite in Arizona

2/24/2022 4:36:00 PM | Men's Golf

LIVE STATS

UNI men's golf at the Valpo Invite

Feb. 27 - Practice Round
Feb. 28 - 36 holes with tee times starting at 9 a.m. CT
March 1 - 18 holes with tee times starting at 9 a.m. CT

Dove Mountain | Tucson, Arizona

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The UNI men's golf team opens 2022 action on the heels of the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.

UNI played in just four events in the fall. UNI returns eight Panthers from last year's squad and has one newcomer. Griffin Parker is the top returner from last year's men's team. Parker averaged 73.08 in those 12 rounds with a low round of 67. His stroke average is sixth-best in the MVC entering the spring. He tied for 10th place in the 2021 MVC Championships in the spring.

Parker earned first team all-MVC honors in 2020-21 and was a first team all-MVC scholar-athlete. He shot a season-low 68 at the Bobbi Nichols Intercollegiate.

UNI men's finishes in fall 2021:

Placed 14th out of 21 teams at the Gene Miranda Falcon Invite (Sept. 10-12)
15th out of 16 teams at Ram Master Invite (Sept. 20-21)
Eighth out of 15 teams at the Zach Johnson Invitational (Sept. 27-28)
Finished in fifth place at the Stampede at the Creek (Oct. 4-5)

The Panthers are armed with a talented, young group and look to build off an eighth-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference championships.

The men's team will open competition at Valpo's Invite in Arizona. In addition to the host, UNI will face Chicago State, North Dakota State, Bradley, UNI, Chicago State, Arizona State (individual only), Arizona (individuals only).

Set at the Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Arizona, the course is a par 72 set on 7,291 yards. The venue features 27 challenging holes, and the tournament will be on the Saguaro/Tortolita golf course nestled at the base of the Tortolita Mountain Range.The course meanders through desert washes covered in native flora and fauna. There are large greens that feature plenty of movement. The par-3 third hole on the Tortolita nine has the highest elevation of any at the golf club.

UNI WOMEN'S GOLF

On the women's side, Missouri State is favored in the Missouri Valley Conference. UNI was picked fourth in the Valley.

UNI returns seven golfers from last year and added two newcomers. Hannah Bermel is the top performer returning from 2021. In the fall, Bermel - was named MVC Golfer of the Week in October after finishing T21 leading all MVC golfers at the Ozarks National Invitational. She is a three-time MVC First Team Scholar Athlete (2019, 2020, 2021), and has three individual wins in her career. The Panthers have placed second at the last three MVC Championships, falling in a playoff to Evansville at the 2021 MVC Championship. Bermel placed tied for fourth and was named All-Conference, and Coach John Bermel was named MVC Co-Coach of the Year.

MEN'S MVC PRESEASON POLL