BROOKS—It's here. Championship season. That time of the year when legends are made and legacies are cemented. And for the Chico State men's golf team, it begins with the 2022 California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship Monday through Wednesday at Yocha Dehe Golf Club in Brooks.
 
All indications are that the course is a fitting track for a championship. Located near Cache Creek Casino, 65 miles West of Sacramento, Yocha Dehe is consistently ranked as a top golf course in the United States and California. Designed by Brad Bell, it offers over 7,300 yards of championship golf. This week it will play at par-72, 6,907 yards from the gold tees, featuring a slope of 139 and rating of 73.3 according to the course website.
 
Fans can keep up with the tournament results online—the link for CCAA Championship score updates is accessible at www.chicowildcats.com in the calendar section of the website's homepage, and on the women's golf schedule page. Live streaming video of Wednesday's final round action at holes 9 and 18 will also be available online through the CCAA Network.
 
This marks the first championship opportunity since 2019 for the Wildcats. The Last two were canceled due to COVID-19. Chris Colla is the lone Wildcat returning from the 2019 campaign. Colla finished in a tie for 10^th at the 2019 CCAA Championships after finishing tied for 7^th and helping lead the Wildcats to the 2018 CCAA title as a sophomore.  
 
Traditionally, the Wildcats have shined at the CCAA Championships, finishing first or tied for first in stroke play six times, including five times in the last eight championships that have been contested. The 2012 and 2018 Wildcats brought home the banner than comes with the title. The Wildcats won the stroke play portion in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018, but the format included match play during that stretch.
 
This season it is back to pure stroke play. And Colla is joined by Dakota Ochoa, Brayden Russo, Michael Stephens, and Tyler Ashman. All five have played well enough at times this season to be considered favorites for a strong showing this week. Medalist honors will go to the tournament winner and the top five finishers will earn All-Tournament accolades. Alistair Docherty (2015) and Kelley Sullivan (2017) are the two Wildcats who have claimed CCAA Championship medalist honors.
 
The Wildcats are the No. 4 seed heading into Monday's round. But it's a tightly-bunched group. The top four conference teams in the Golfstat NCAA Division II rankings— used to determine seeding for this week's festivities— range from No. 49 to No. 55. And all eight teams rank among the top 103 out of 207 ranked teams.
 
The teams will tee off beginning at 8 a.m. Monday from the 10^th tee. The women, who will be contesting their CCAA titles at the same time, will go off from No. 1 on Monday. The Chico State men—paired with Cal State Monterey Bay, Cal State San Marcos, and Cal State San Bernardino— will tee off beginning at 9 a.m. The last group is scheduled to tee off at 9:48.  
 
The teams will play single rounds Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The teams will be re-seeded Tuesday and Wednesday based on team scores.
 
Golfstat National Rankings
Cal State Monterey Bay – No. 49
Cal State San Marcos – No. 50
Cal State San Bernardino – No. 53
Chico State – No. 55
Sonoma State – No. 65
Stanislaus State – No. 68
Cal State Dominguez Hills – No. 96
Cal State East Bay – No. 103
 
CCAA Championships History
CCAA Champions in 2012 and 2018.
Individual medalists: Kelley Sullivan (2017) and Alistair Docherty (2015).
 
Year: Team Finish / Chico State Ind. in Top-10
2021: No Championship
2020: No Championships
2019: 4^th / Chris Colla, Josh McCollum, and Serge Kiriluk, T10 (+4).
2018: 1^st in stroke play / Kelley Sullivan, 2^nd (-2); Chris Colla, T7 (+4).
2017: 1^st in stroke play / Kelley Sullivan, 1^st (+1).
2016: 1^st in stroke play / Justin Wiles, ^T1^st (-5); Lee Gearhart and Alistair Docherty, T3 (-2).
2015: 1^st in stroke play / Alistair Docherty, *1^st (-6); Justin Wiles, T3 (-5); Lee Gearhart, T6 (-4).
2014: 4^th / Lee Gearhart, 2^nd (-1); Alistair Docherty and Will Flitcroft, T10 (+5).
2013: 4^th / Lee Gearhart, Ricky Owaki, and Alistair Docherty, T10 (-1).
2012: 1^st / Eric Frazetta and Kyle Souza, ^T1^st (-6); Kevin Rei, 6^th (-4); Bobby Bucey, 7^th (-2).
2011: 2^nd / Kyle Souza, ^T1^st (-6); Kevin Rei and Cody Thompson, T7 (-2); Chris Doyle, 9^th (-1).
2010: 5^th / NA
2009: T4^th / Brandon Gama, Brandon Harkins, and Kyle Souza, T8 (+1).
2008: 5^th / Lucas Delgado, 6^th (-2); Ryan Trask, 8^th (+1).
2007: 3^rd / Greg Marskey, T4 (-3); Kevin Horan, T9 (+1).
2006: 5^th / Greg Marskey, 7^th (+2); Nick Green, 10^th (+5).
2005: T1^st / Chris Massoletti, T2^nd, (-5); Jess Stimack, 6^th (+2).
2004: 2^nd / J.J. Jakovac, 2^nd (-3); Marc Peterson, 4^th (+3); Benjamin Knight, 9^th (+7)
2003: 3^rd / Brian Benedictson and J.J. Jakovac, T4 (+10).
2002: 4^th / J.J. Jakovac, 5^th (-1); Andy Barnum, T8 (+2)
2001: 5^th / Only top-5 listed. No Wildcats.
2000: 7^th / Only top-5 listed. No Wildcats.
1999: 3^rd / Robert Rath, 2^nd (+3). Only top-5 listed.
 
*Won title in playoff
^Lost playoff for title