Dixie State College Athletics

April 20, 2009 GCU leads chase for 2009 Hawaiian Airlines PacWest Men's Golf Championship after 36 holes ANTIOCH, CA – Grand Canyon University has parlayed two rounds of 288 into a five-stroke lead after 36 holes of the 2009 Hawaiian Airlines Pacific West Conference Men's Golf Championship. The two-day, 54-hole event is being held on the par-72 Roddy Ranch Golf Club in Antioch, CA. The distance of the course is 6,864 yards. Grand Canyon has totaled a 576 after 36 holes as the Antelopes prepare to seal the league championship on Tuesday. Unlike last season where the event was spread over three days, this year the PacWest Championship format is featuring two rounds of 18 holes being contested on the opening day followed by an 18-hole segment on Tuesday. In a pre-tournament vote designed to predict the order of finish, Grand Canyon was the favorite followed by Dixie State, Notre Dame de Namur and Hawai'i Hilo. The Vulcans, however, are sitting in second place, five strokes behind Grand Canyon but five ahead of Dixie State. Hawai'i Hilo recorded a 292 in the first round followed by a 289 in round two. Dixie State stands in third place, 12 strokes off the pace after recording back-to-back scores of 294 for a sum total of 588. BYU-Hawaii, which needs to finish sixth or better for the school to clinch this year's Commissioner's Cup, owns a two-round total of 594 after posting a 300 in the morning competition and a 294 in the afternoon. With Chaminade's team 206 strokes behind BYU-hawaii at 800 and in last place, the Seasiders are a virtual lock for the cup. Host Notre Dame de Namur is tied for fifth with Hawai'i Pacific after each team posted identical rounds of 304 and 297 for a 601 score. Academy of Art (CA) is seventh at 617 (302-315), while the Silverswords are eighth with a 391 and 409. Last season's Freshman of the Year, NDNU's Ryan Sheffer, leads last year's champion Zady Ari of Hawaii Hilo by a stroke. Sheffer has a two-round total of 141 after shooting a par 72 on the first 18 and then shaving three strokes off of that total for a 69. Ari rocketed to a blistering 66 in the first round but then succumbed to a 76 in the second set of 18 holes for a total of 142 strokes. He now is one stroke off the pace. Charlie Renfro of Hawai'i Pacific registered a 74 and 70 for a 144 to wind up tied with Logan Goulding of Hawai'i Hilo (75-69). Grand Canyon's Mike Krahe also is tied with a 144 after shooting a 73 and then a 71, while teammate Tyler Wooldridge reversed Krahe's numbers with a 71 and 73 to reach 144. There also is a four-way tie for seventh at 145 thanks to Hawai'i Hilo's Stephen Zane (74 71), Dixie State's Cameron Crawford (Sandy. UT/Jordan HS) (72-73), BYU-Hawaii's Doug Bischoff (76-69), and Matthew Garcia of the Academy of Art (71-74).