Men's Golf Captures Heart Team & Individual Conference Championships
Smithville, Mo., (April 28, 2026)- The No. 11 Missouri Valley College men's golf team competed in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship this week at Paradise Point in Smithville, Mo. The Vikings pulled away in the final two rounds to earn the conference title, led by individual conference champion Freshman Felipe Suarez (Cordoba, Argentina).
In the tournament's first round on Monday, the Vikings were led by Freshman Joaquin Raminger (Buenos Aires, Argentina) who finished with the lowest score of the round at -4 (68), sitting on top of the leaderboard by one stroke. Raminger carded seven birdies in the round, and played the back-nine at -5 (31). Freshman Felipe Suarez (Cordoba, Argentina) followed at -1 (71), which included three birdies in the round. Sophomore Brad Storrer (Harare, Zimbabwe) came in at +3 (75), while Junior Leo Burger (Johannesburg, South Africa) added a +4 (76). Senior Nelius De Jager (Upington, South Africa) finished at +10 (82) in the round. Missouri Valley ended the first round in third place with a total score of +2 (290), four strokes back of first place Grand View (Iowa).
The second round started on Monday, and was carried over into Tuesday morning due to darkness. Leading the team was Suarez who finished with the lowest score of the round at -5 (67). Suarez was bogey-free in the round, adding three birdies and an eagle on the par-five fifth hole. Storrer came back with an even-par (72), which included five birdies. Also carding an even-par round was Raminger, while Senior Chad Corburn (Bloemfontein, South Africa) finished at even-par in his first round of the tournament, recording three birdies and an eagle on the par-five ninth hole. The Vikings bounced back and finished with the lowest team score of the second round, at -5 (283) to climb into first place with a total score of -3 (573), sitting three strokes over Grand View and four strokes up on third place Mount Mercy (Iowa).
In the final round, both Suarez and Storrer totaled rounds of -4 (68). Suarez finished with six birdies in the round, including five birdies on the back-nine. Storrer recorded four birdies in a bogey-free final round. Burger totaled an even-par (72) and Raminger came in at +2 (74). Coburn added a +5 (77) as the team finished with the best single-round of the tournament at -6 (282).
The Vikings finished with a total score of -9 (855), and pulled away for the conference title, topping second place Grand View (Iowa) by 12 strokes, and third place Mount Mercy (Iowa) by 13 strokes. This is the second conference title in program-history (2019).
The individual leaderboard ended with Suarez as the conference champion, totaling a -10 (206) to win the tournament by four strokes. The -5 (67) in the second round was tied for the lowest single-round score of any golfer, and Suarez was one of only four golfers to go under-par in all three rounds. He also became the sixth individual conference champion in program-history, joining Mateo Quiroga in 2023, Felipe Gomez in 2021, Nicolas Evangelio in 2019, Jordan Dickson in 2012 and Craig Gibson in 2009.
Two other Vikings finished in the top ten of the individual standings. Raminger came in at sixth with a -2 (214) followed by Storrer at seventh with a -1 (215). Burger followed at No. 15 with a +5 (221). Corburn played two rounds and finished at +5 (149) and De Jager played one round at +10 (82).
The conference title secures an automatic berth into the 2026 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship, played at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Ill., May 12-15. This will be the second time in program-history the men's golf team has competed at the National championship. The 2019 team finished No. 15 overall at the National tournament.
The women's golf team will compete at the Heart Championship, May 4-5 at Paradise Point in Smithville, Mo.
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About Missouri Valley College
Standing out as one of the most innovative and student-focused liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, Missouri Valley College (MVC) is committed to preparing students for success beyond the classroom. Through the Viking Voyage program, MVC prioritizes career readiness from day one, equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to excel after graduation. Each of MVC's 30+ in-demand majors—including nursing, business, cybersecurity, computer science, criminal justice, and exercise science—integrates personal instruction, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to prepare graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing and globally connected world. At Missouri Valley College, higher education is more than earning a degree—it's a transformative journey that begins with the end.