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GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Graceland Men’s Golf Concludes Season at Heart Championship, Eyes Future Growth

Graceland Men’s Golf Concludes Season at Heart Championship, Eyes Future Growth

Results

Overland Park, KS — The Graceland University men's golf team concluded its 2025 spring season this week with a three-round appearance at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Men's Golf Championship, hosted at Nicklaus Golf Club at LionsGate in Overland Park, Kansas.

The Yellowjackets placed 10th in the 11-team field, carding a total team score of 1,031 (339-353-339) across 54 holes of stroke play. Competing on a par-72, 6,689-yard layout, Graceland was led by freshman Jonathan Paramananthan, who posted rounds of 80, 85, and 82 to finish at 247 (+31), tied for 29th overall in the individual standings.

After the first 18 holes on Monday, the Yellowjackets sat in 10th place with a team score of 339. Paramananthan's opening 80, supported by Noah Hughes' 85 and Saxen Hii's 87, positioned Graceland ahead of Culver-Stockton by 16 strokes heading into the afternoon session.

In the second 18 holes of Monday's 36-hole day, Graceland saw its team score rise to 353. The round was marked by challenging pin placements and windy conditions, testing the Yellowjackets' consistency. Hii and Hughes both carded 85s, while Trevor Shelton posted a 96. Graceland dropped slightly in the standings but maintained its position ahead of Culver-Stockton.

Tuesday's final round saw a return to form as Graceland posted a 339 — matching its day-one total and rebounding after a tough second round. Paramananthan closed with a steady 82, while Hughes and Hii each improved with scores of 82 and 84, respectively. The team's consistency down the stretch demonstrated resilience and competitive drive.

Despite the team's finish outside the top half of the leaderboard, head coach Kevin Brunner saw positives throughout the tournament and across the spring season.

"We knew coming into the Heart Championship that this would be a challenging field," Brunner said. "Our guys showed composure, especially in the way they rebounded on Tuesday. It was good to see the growth over the 54 holes. We've talked all spring about development — not just in scoring, but in approach, strategy, and course management. This is a young team, and we're laying the groundwork for long-term success."

Also contributing in the season finale were:

The 2025 spring season represented a period of growth and opportunity for the Graceland golf program, which fielded a largely underclassman-dominated roster. With foundational experience now in place, Coach Brunner plans to build on the progress made this year through recruiting and continued player development.

"We're excited about what's ahead," Brunner added. "This is a hardworking, coachable group with a lot of raw potential. Our goal now is to add key pieces through recruiting and continue building on the core we have in place. We saw flashes of what this group is capable of — now it's about pushing to compete every time we tee it up."

With the conclusion of the Heart Championship, the Yellowjackets now turn their attention to offseason training, recruiting efforts, and preparing for the 2025–26 campaign. Graceland will return a majority of its roster and aims to climb the conference ranks in the coming year.

To view a photo gallery of the Heart Men's Golf Conference Championship click here.

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