RIVERSIDE – Following a stellar 66 second-round score at the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men's Golf Championships Tuesday, Chico State sophomore Dakota Ochoa returned to The Victoria Club Wednesday and turned in a 68 in the final round to capture the tournament individual championship Wednesday.
 
Ochoa ended the three-day conference tournament scoring a 10-under 206, beating Cal State Monterey Bay's Jack Deaner by two strokes to become the third Wildcat to win conference medalist honors. Alistair Docherty won the first in 2015 and Kelley Sullivan followed in 2017.
 
As for Chico State, the third round happened to be its best performance in the tournament, scoring a combined 285 in the final round. But a 5-over 869, the Wildcats leaped from eighth to sixth in the standings. Cal State Monterey Bay appeared to had run away with the lead, but Cal State San Marcos rallied and the Otters slipped to allow the Cougars to clinch their first conference tournament title with a 10-under 854.
 
Ochoa started the day sitting in third place and was only two strokes back from the lead. He came up with an even 35 in the front 9 despite making three bogies. It was the back 9 that secured him the championship where he went perfect. He eagled a par-5 in the 14^th hole and made two birdies.
 
In addition to winning conference medalist, Ochoa repeats on the All-CCAA team.
 
After making par in the first two rounds, Tyler Ashman broke through in the third round and scored a 3-under 69. He ended his tournament run with a 3-under 213 to finish in a tie for eighth and narrowly missing all-conference honors. He made six birdies and an eagle at the par-5 15^th hole, but four over par results prevented him from climbing further up the standings.
 
Naoki Easterday made a big turnaround. Following a 78 second-round score, the freshman returned to the course and penciled in a 2-under 70. He finished with three birdies and made par a dozen times that helps him improve his tournament score to 225.
 
Rounding out the rest of the 'Cats, Giuliano Kaminski turned in a 78 to finish the tournament with a 233. Landon Williams finished with an 80 to end his tournament run with a 228.
 
Chico State will now wait and see on April 28 if the Wildcats qualify as a team or by individual for the NCAA Division II Regionals. The regional will be held May 11-13 at a familiar site to the Wildcats: the Foxtail Golf Club in Rohnert Park.