BELLINGHAM, Wash. – It was a stirring performance from the Wildcats as they closed out the WWU Invitational with a 279 (-9) led by freshman Alexander LemMon's 68 (-4) final round.
Heading into the final round in Bellingham, the Wildcats were poised for a top-five finish after improving on the day in the second round. Closing the gap between the top five teams, the Wildcats combined impressive scores in the final round to claim the second-best team score of the day.
The rest of the field felt the pressure, apart from the defending DII National Champions, who continued to impress throughout the tournament. Colorado Christian took home the tournament win and the individual title, rounding out the 54 holes with an 827 (-37) collective. It was an impressive feat to accomplish, as three of the top five were congested with Cougars.
Despite the impression that the Cougars were making, the Wildcats continued to swing away and keep their eyes locked on climbing the leaderboard. Giving the West Region a look at the fight they will continue to bring throughout the season.
Travis Miller continued to find his stride on the course, carding a 70 (-2) in the final round and compiling a 213 (-3) tournament in a T-11th finish. The senior carded a total of 14 birdies across three rounds, one of the highest totals across all 71 golfers.
His par three scoring bolstered his climb, holding one of the best scoring averages on the shorter holes at 3-under (2.87) across 54 holes.
Giuliano Kaminski and Ben Mouser climbed the leaderboard into the top 20, carding strong final rounds and showcasing consistency on Monday and Tuesday. Kaminski penciled in a 70 (-2) in the final round, totaling a 216 (E) after three rounds. Mouser had a similar finish of 216 (E).
Sophomore Alex LemMon scored well early into his round, starting on the back nine and capturing four birdies with one more three holes past the turn, carding a 68 (-4) in the final round. Jumping eleven positions on the leaderboard, LemMon had one of the best rounds on the day; despite finishing 2-over par, his composed finish helped secure the Wildcats an early top-three finish.
Naoki Easterday carded a 227 after fifty-four holes in Bellingham, penciling in 39 pars, the most of any golfer through three days.
After two back-to-back tournaments in the PNW, Chico State men's golf will host their annual Wildcat Classic from October 7 through October 8 at The Links at Rolling Hills. The Corning-based course combines attractive hole designs that provide all competitors an exciting experience.
