Graceland Men’s Golf Finishes Strong at The Bluffs Ahead of Heart Championship

PARKVILLE, Mo. — The Graceland University men's golf team wrapped up its final regular-season tournament this week, competing at The Bluffs Golf Club, a par-70 layout in Parkville, Missouri. The Yellowjackets were led by Noah Hughes, who fired rounds of 75-76-78 to finish at +19 and tied for eighth place overall.

The event served as a key tune-up for Graceland ahead of the upcoming Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship, bringing together teams from across the region for a three-round stroke play format.

Hughes provided consistency across all three rounds, making multiple pars to stay within the top 10 of a competitive field. He posted a final-round 78, backing up earlier scores of 75 (+5) and 76 (+6), and was the top individual finisher for Graceland.

Jonathan Paramananthan followed as Graceland's second finisher, carding rounds of 77-76-82 to finish at +25, placing 18th. He recovered well in Round 2 after a slow start, stringing together a series of bogey-free holes in the middle stretch.

Saxen Hii recorded a three-day total of +33 (85-79-79) to place 27th. After a challenging first round, Hii improved by six shots in Round 2 and maintained that momentum in his final round.

Trevor Shelton posted scores of 87-79-84 to finish at +40, good for a share of 32nd place. He saw his best stretch of play in Round 2, where he recorded multiple pars and avoided big numbers.

Rounding out the Graceland lineup was Lucas Porter, who shot 90-92-107 for a total of +79, placing 43rd.

The tournament featured individuals and teams from Baker, Park (Mo.), MidAmerica Nazarene, Crowder, Tabor, and Ottawa (Kan.), with several programs entering both varsity and B teams. Park's Gavin Dines took medalist honors at +4.

"This tournament gave us a solid final opportunity to assess our lineup heading into conference play," head coach Kevin Brunner said. "Noah showed great composure all week and gave us a strong anchor. I also thought Jonathan and Saxen stepped up with good middle rounds. We've talked all season about learning how to manage rounds under pressure, and this course demanded that. I'm proud of how our guys responded."

The Bluffs Golf Club presented a tough challenge with elevation changes, firm greens, and demanding tee shots, all of which will benefit Graceland as it prepares for postseason play.

Up Next: Graceland will compete in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship on April 14–15 at Nicklaus Golf Club at Lions Gate in Overland Park, Kansas. The conference tournament will feature all HAAC programs in a 54-hole format to determine the league's automatic qualifier for the NAIA National Championship.

For more information on Graceland men's golf and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.