It was the late 1980's and Henderson State was dominating college golf in the Natural State. For seven consecutive years from 1985 to 1991, the Reddies won the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference Championship advancing the NAIA National Championship each year.

Fast forward to 2017, the Reddies have claimed the Great American Conference Championship the past three years and will attempt to make it four as Henderson competes in the GAC Championships beginning Sunday at the Hot Springs Country Club.

Teams from Arkansas and Oklahoma will compete in the three-day, 54-hole event with the winner receiving the automatic bid to the NCAA Midwest/Central Regional in Axtell, Neb. beginning May 8.

Henderson, ranked 35^th nationally, ran away with the title in 2016 beating the field by 25 strokes while setting a GAC record with a team score of 849, 15 below par.

Winning a fourth title won't be easy as this year's field consists of three teams ranked in the top 10 in the Central Region. Arkansas Tech is second in the latest region rankings, followed by Southwestern Oklahoma in fourth with the Reddies sixth.

Under the guidance of fourth year coach and two-time GAC Coach of Year Forrest Schultz, Henderson has won 10 tournament titles and has finished in the top three 15 times while advancing to the NCAA Regionals every year since his arrival.

During those historic AIC years, Henderson produced numerous individual champions and All-Americans including John Freeman, James Barnes, Chris Porter, Curt Pfaffle, Brad Fox, Brant Fox and most notable Ken Duke.

Thirty years later, a new group of Reddies have helped put the golf program back in the limelight.

Players like 2012 GAC medalist Matt Jennings who was a three-time All-GAC selection, and 2016 GAC medalist Brice Howard who set a 54-hole record with a 12-under par 204 and would earned GAC All-Tournament honors three times while at Henderson.

Also among those who has helped in the resurgence of the Henderson golf program are current Reddies Drew Greenwood and Price Murphree.

Greenwood was the GAC medalist in 2015 with rounds of 72, 71, and 72. In his final season, Greenwod has been with the Reddies for three years having participated in 28 tournaments, playing 71 rounds having a stroke average of 74.33.

The senior from Hot Springs is a two-time All-GAC selection and has recorded 10 top 10 finishes and six top 5s. During his career he has carded 21 rounds of par or better, including six rounds in the 60s with his low round being a 64 at the 2015 Natural State Classic in Heber Springs on the Red Apple Inn Course.

Greenwood, who shot one-over par 217 and finished tied for 9^th at last year's GAC Championship, has a 73.76 stroke average this season.

Murphree will also be playing in his third GAC Championship, having finished tied for eighth in 2015 (76-72-71, 219, +3) and 13^th last year (76-72-70, 218 +2).

The senior from Camden, Ark. has been consistent throughout his four-year career at Henderson having 21 top 25 finishes, 8 top 10s, and 5 top 5s.

Murphree has competed in 37 tournaments and has played 94 rounds since the fall of 2013. During that time he has a stroke average of 75.46 which includes 24 rounds of par or better.

This year, Murphree has a 74.03 stroke average including three rounds in the 60s.

The Reddies also have some young talent that will be making their debut in the GAC Championship.

Cameron McRae may be participating in his first GAC Championship, but he is no stranger to Hot Springs Country Club.

McRae helped lead Lakeside High School to three state championships, learning to play golf at HSCC.

A sophomore transfer from Arkansas State, McRae became eligible to play at Henderson this spring, having played in five tournaments with four top 25 finishes including a 9^th-place finish at the Dave Falconer Classic where he posted rounds of 76-69 (+1).

McRae has played in 12 rounds this spring having a stroke average of 75.16.

Tait Darby is a junior transfer from the University of Memphis who has played in 10 tournaments this year,

A product of Olive Branch, Miss., Darby has a stroke average of 75.07 over 26 rounds including eight rounds of par or better.

Darby has five top 25 finishes including finishing fourth at the Central Region Fall Preview in Axtell, Neb. with rounds of 69 and 74. It was Darby's first tournament as a Reddie on a course where Henderson hopes to be returning for the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional in May.

Nick Shapiro is coming off his best finish having placed fourth at last week's Natural State Classic with rounds of 73 and 71.

The freshman from Plano, Texas has competed in five tournaments this seasons having a stroke average of 74.33 in 12 rounds. Shapiro has two top 10 finishes and has posted four round of par or better.

The Reddies finished third in the inaugural GAC Championship in 2012 with a team score of 914. The following year Henderson dropped a spot, finishing fourth despite improving by eight strokes having a score of 906.

In claiming the title the last three years, Henderson finished with a score of 10-over par 874 in 2014, 2-over par 866 in 2015, and last year's impressive score of 15-under par 849.

"This team if very confident and knows what it will take to win another championship," said Schultz. "These guys are familiar with this course and will need to use it to their advantage."