Nebraska Wesleyan shot a team score of 301 to finish in second place at the first Great Plains Athletic Conference men's golf qualifier on Saturday (Sept. 6) at Wild Oak Golf Club in Mitchell, S.D. The host school, Dakota Wesleyan University, is the leader after the first qualifier with a team score of 289.

This is the first year of the new format for the GPAC Golf Championships. Instead of a two-day tournament in the spring, the GPAC Championship will be decided with four one day qualifiers. Two will be played in the fall, and two more will be played in the spring.

E.J. Hamilton led NWU and tied for the individual lead with a 2-under par round of 70. Hamilton tied Nick Gates from Dakota Wesleyan for the overall lead after the first round.

The only other NWU golfer to finish in the top 10 was Nate Jaeger who shot a 75 to tie for 10th place. Patrick Hanzel and Chad Elder both fired rounds of 78 to tie for 23rd, while Kyle Jaacks rounded out the NWU scoring with a 85.

The second GPAC Qualifier of the fall will be played on Sept. 20 at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course in Lincoln, Neb., with Doane College serving as the host.