PALM COAST, Fla. – Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) and Shane Seiffert (Corcoran, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) are representing the University of Northwestern at the National Christian College Athletic Association National Golf Championships this week at Hammock Beach Resort. Both golfers earned their spot in the field by turning in the lowest score at the NCCAA North Central Regional by an individual not on the winning team. The three-round tournament began Monday morning and will conclude Wednesday, when national champions will be crowned for both the team and individual competitions. You can follow along with the men's competition all week here, and the women's competition, here.
 
Day One
 
Since they are not competing in the team competitions, both Eckman and Seiffert were in the first groups off the opening tee in their respective fields, paired with the other individual qualifiers. Eckman, playing on the resort's Ocean Course, started out strong, making birdies on the par-five second and the par-four seventh. She wound up carding a 79 (+7), which puts her in a tie for sixth place after round one, just five shots behind the leader. While Eckman was stronger on the front nine compared to the back, Seiffert was the opposite. The junior, playing on the Conservatory Course, was +6 through eight holes before a birdie on the par-five ninth ignited a terrific finishing stretch. Seiffert would also birdie the par-four 11^th and closed out his day with a tap-in eagle on 18 to shoot 77 (+5). He is tied for 14^th entering day two of competition.
 
Eckman and Seiffert will be back at it bright and early tomorrow morning for round two of play in Palm Coast.
 
Day Two
 
Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) and Shane Seiffert (Corcoran, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) were back on the course at sunrise this morning in Florida, and both turned in solid second rounds. Eckman improved her score by one shot compared to the first round, turning in a 78 (+6). She currently sits in a tie for fifth place entering Wednesday's final round, and the top eight finishers (and ties) earn All-American status. Eckman was an NCCAA All-American in 2023 after a fifth-place finish at the Championships. Seiffert joined Eckman in shooting a 78 (+6) on Tuesday after carding a 77 on Monday. The junior made birdies on holes three, five, 15 and 18, shooting 39 on both nines. He is in a tie for 23^rd entering the final round.
 
Eckman and Seiffert will both once again tee off at 7:45 AM ET on Wednesday, with Seiffert starting on the back nine of the Conservatory Course.

Day Three
 
The final round of the NCCAA National Golf Championships took place Wednesday, meaning champions would be crowned and All-Americans would be honored by day's end. Morgan Eckman (Jordan, Minn./Jordan) was among those in that second group, as her performance during the three-day event earned her NCCAA All-American status for the second consecutive year. Eckman made two birdies on Wednesday en route to a score of 80 (+8), putting her in sixth place with a total score of +21. She finished five strokes behind the medalist from Grace College and just two shots behind second place. Grace also won the team competition by six strokes over Bethel (IN).
 
On the men's side, Shane Seiffert (Corcoran, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) carded a 78 (+6) for the second straight day to finish with an overall score of +17 for the tournament, earning him a tie for 22^nd place. He caught fire on hole 15 (his sixth hole of the day since he started on the back nine), birdying holes 15, 16 and 17. The junior played the 15^th hole at two-under par across the three days of competition. Wayland Baptist won the men's team competition by 22 strokes with an impressive total of +9, and the individual medalist, also from Wayland Baptist, shot one-under par for the tournament.
 
Eckman and Seiffert will join their teammates back on the course in the spring, where Eckman and the women's team will prepare for the NCAA National Championships in Houston, Texas in May.