2024 North Central District Championships | Final Results
WATERLOO, Iowa - Kirkwood expanded their lead from four after Day 1 to 17 strokes by the end of Day 2 to win the 2024 North Central District Championships. The reigning NJCAA National Champions powered to a 4-under team finish on the day taking their score from 10-over to 6-over for the tournament.
The Eagles were led by Nate Offerman and Frank Haege who each finished in a tie for second place at 1-under for the tournament. Offerman scooted up the board three spots to earn a runner up finish. He had tied both the round 3 total and tournament low with 3-under 69.
Haege finished the final round 1-under par to earn the runner up slot. Joining Kirkwood in the top 15 ICCAC finishers at the touranment were Nathan Bratanata who took sixth, and a Grant Greazel who finished 13th.
With the victory, the Eagles won their ninth straight national qualifier and 11th in the past 12 seasons dating back to 2012. They'll eye a defense of their National Championship in Joplin, Mo. later this month.
Joining the Eagles as team qualifiers were the runner-ups, DMACC. The Bears were led by Drew Teeter who tied with Offerman and Haege for a three-way second place at 1-under. Teeter, who led after Day 1, ended with a final round 74.
Joining him in the top 10 was teammate Spencer Clatt who rose four spots after the final 18 and finished at 4-over. He shot an even par 72 to end his tournament. This is the second-straight team qualification for the Bears who finished in eighth place at last year's National Tournament.
Other ICCAC qualifiers were all three individuals in Iowa Central's Nico Booyens and Bailey Doe, along with Hawkeye's Kaeden Anderson. Booyens earned a top 5 finish at +1 for the tournament. Doe and Anderson tied at +4 for the final spots, awarded to the top three individuals not on a qualifying team.
The individual District Championship went to Luke Strako of Southeast Neb. who played both the hero and the villian. Strako fired a 3-under 69 in the final round to leap from two spots and win the tournament, becoming the first non-ICCAC champion since the District grouped Region 9 & 11 together in 2022.
Strako was the hero for Southeast when on the final hole, drilled a 50-foot putt. The birdie secured him the individual title, but also propelled his team into the third spot -- edging out Iowa Central by one-stroke (the villain).
All qualifiers will head to Twin Hills Golf & Country Club in Joplin, Mo. May 21-24 for the 2024 NJCAA National Tournament.
Team Standings:
1. Kirkwood, +6
2. DMACC, +21
3. Southeast, +25
4. Iowa Central, +26
5. Northeast, +34
6. Hawkeye, +37
7. Alexandria Tech, +46
8. Iowa Lakes +62
9 Southwestern, +66
10. NIACC, +69
11. North Platte, +90
12. Central Neb., +94
13. Southeastern, +120
Team Leaderboard
ICCAC Top 15:
T2. Drew Teeter, DMACC -1 (72-69-74)
T2. Nate Offerman, Kirkwood -1 (71-75-69)
T2. Frank Haege, Kirkwood - 1 (70-74-71)
5. Nico Booyens, Iowa Central +1 (69-74-74)
6. Nathan Bratanata, Kirkwood +3 (71-75-73)
T7. Kaeden Anderson, Hawkeye +4 (73-75-72)
T7. Spencer Clatt, DMACC, +4 (73-75-72)
T7. Bailey Doe, Iowa Central +4 (77-70-73)
T11. Gage Burns, Northeast +5 (74-74-73)
13. Grant Greazel, Kirkwood +6 (77-74-71)
14. Kai Hielckert, Iowa Central +8 (77-74-73)
T15. Calvin McNeeley, DMACC +10 (75-75-76)
T15. Gunther Soltvedt, Northeast +10 (75-74-77)
T18. Christian Prambs, Iowa Lakes +11 (82-71-74)
T18. Isac Fredriksson, Southwestern +11 (77-76-74)
T18. Will Steege, Hawkeye +11 (77-74-76)
T18. Tyler Baumchen, Northeast +11 (75-74-78)