The 2012 and 2013 NAIA Men's Golf National Championships will be contested at Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Ore. The Cascade Collegiate Conference will partner with CCC member Corban University (Ore.) in hosting the events.
CCC Lands NAIA Men's Golf Championships; Corban to Co-Host '12, '13 Events at Creekside
PORTLAND, Ore. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Thursday announced that the 2012 and 2013 NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships have been awarded to the Cascade Collegiate Conference office, which will partner with CCC member Corban University (Ore.) to host the 61st and 62nd annual events at Creekside Golf Club in Salem, Ore.
The 72-hole tournaments will be staged May 22-25, 2012, and May 14-17, 2013. It will mark the first time in 56 years that the championships are contested on the West Coast.
"We are thrilled to have the Cascade Collegiate Conference and Corban University as hosts for the 2012 and 2013 NAIA Men's Golf National Championships," said NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr. "I am confident that they will carry on the strong tradition of this event and make it a memorable experience for all student-athletes, coaches and fans involved. On behalf of the NAIA, I would like to recognize the efforts of our current host, the Quad Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau of Iowa and Illinois, for what it has done to make the championship a success."
Creekside Golf Club was named the “Facility of the Year” in 2007 by the Oregon Golf Association. Designed by Oregon touring professional Peter Jacobsen, the 6,887-yard, par-72 course is a unique links-style layout featuring water hazards on 14 of its 18 holes. The course includes more than 80 fairway and greenside bunkers. Among other notable events, Creekside has hosted the Oregon Open and served as a U.S. Senior Open regional qualifier site.
“The Cascade Collegiate Conference is honored and excited to be afforded the privilege of showcasing intercollegiate golf in the Pacific Northwest through these national championships, and we thank the NAIA for entrusting this event to us,” said CCC commissioner Dave Haglund. “The conference office has terrific partners in Corban University and Creekside Golf Club, and we all are committed to providing first-class, unforgettable experiences for more than 150 student-athletes from across the country each year.
“I especially want to thank the administration at Corban, led by president Dr. Reno Hoff, athletic director Dave Johnson and head golf coach Ron Sisler, for embracing the vision of bringing this long-standing NAIA event to our conference footprint,” added Haglund. “We all look forward to working closely the next few years with the management at Creekside, headed by general manager Dennis Whitlock and pro Dana Londin, in putting on national championships of which the entire region can be proud.”
As part of each national championship, the CCC and Corban will develop and implement community outreach efforts centered on the NAIA’s signature initiative, “Champions of Character,” which embodies the core values of respect, responsibility, integrity, sportsmanship, and servant leadership. The association’s innovative flagship program is designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves.
“Corban University is extremely excited to serve as co-host of these championships,” said Warrior athletic director Dave Johnson, a former Olympic medalist in the decathlon. “Salem is Oregon’s capital city and poised to be an amazing host. Creekside Golf Club is an amazing venue and will provide a very competitive environment.”
Assisting in the efforts to land the event was Oregon Sports Authority CEO Drew Mahalic, who noted that “the Creekside Golf Club, as part of the majesty of Oregon, will be the perfect venue for the student-athlete competitors, coaches, and spectators."
Other local entities supporting the bid included the Oregon Golf Association, Travel Portland, Travel Salem, and the city of Salem.
More than 180 NAIA institutions sponsor intercollegiate men’s golf, and the tournament fields in 2012 and 2013 are expected to include approximately 30 teams and a total of 156 individuals. As co-host, Corban’s team will earn an automatic bid to the championships.
Held annually since 1952, the NAIA Men’s Golf National Championships will be making a rare appearance on the West Coast. The only other occurrence was in 1956, when the event was contested at Mission Valley CC in San Diego. This May, the tournament will be concluding a three-year run at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill.
The golf events mark the fourth and fifth national championships secured by the CCC in less than two years. Earlier, the NAIA awarded the 2009, 2010 and 2011 NAIA Men’s and Women’s Cross Country National Championships to the CCC office, which is co-hosting the events with Concordia University-Portland. The cross country championships, featuring more than 1,000 athletes and coaches annually, are held at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash.
The Cascade Collegiate Conference is comprised of 10 institutions in the Pacific Northwest: College of Idaho, Concordia University (Ore.), Corban (Ore.) University, Eastern Oregon University, The Evergreen State College (Wash.), Northwest University (Wash.), Northwest Christian University (Ore.), Oregon Institute of Technology, Southern Oregon University, and Warner Pacific College (Ore.).
For more information visit:
www.naia.org
www.gowarriorsgo.com
www.golfcreekside.com
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The Association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.