SANTA ROSA – An overcast sky in Santa Rosa was accompanied by an intense day on the course, with Chico State men's golf finishing in 6th at the 2024 CCAA Championships. The Wildcats rounded out the tournament finale with a handful of solid rounds, but a final-round push from the Otters put them on top.
Cal State Monterey Bay won its first title since 2019, with Simon Bjorken taking the individual title alongside the team crown.
Naoki Easterday's second round, coupled with his conservative final round, earned him All-Tournament Team honors, finishing in a three-way tie for 4th alongside Lucas Happy (SSU) and Chris Chomyn (Stanislaus St.) at 5-under after three rounds.
The sophomore from Portland penciled in two birdies on the back nine, and a solo birdie on the 7th carded him an even-par 72.
Freshman Alexander LemMon fell just outside the top five, but a 1-under 71 in the final round carded him a tournament total of 4-under 212. LemMon, native to the area and growing up playing Santa Rosa GC, made a strong statement in his first CCAA Championship appearance, recording twelve birdies throughout the three round tournament.
Travis Miller recorded the best round on the day for the Wildcats, carding a 2-under 70 and finishing in a tie for 22nd on the leaderboard. Miller sunk eleven birdie puts across the 54 holes, only recording a single bogey in the final round.
Dakota Ochoa carded a 3-over 75 in the final round, rounding out his third CCAA Championships at 4-over. Senior Tyler Ashman rounded out the team, recording a 2-over 74 final round.
The 'Cats scored the most pars of any team on the course, with 180 over the three days.
After a strong season with consistent top finishes, the Wildcats had ranked as the top team in the west region until the week leading up to the conference tournament. Despite the drop to second on the regional rankings, the 'Cats still hold a strong argument and high chances of securing a spot at the NCAA Super Regional that is split between the West (CCAA, GNAC, PacWest) and South Central (RMAC, LSAC) regions.
This year's NCAA Super Regional will be held in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on May 9th - 11th, at the University Golf Course hosted by Western New Mexico.
