TURLOCK, Calif. - Three strong rounds from the Wildcats boosted them into back-to-back second-place finishes following their runner-up conclusion in Goodyear last week.
The No.33 nationally ranked team has seen a positive spike in their performances leading up to the CCAA Championships. After concluding the regular season with a top-two finish, the 'Cats are poised to make another West Regional appearance following the CCAA tournament after seeing their ranking jump to third in the west region—the runner-up team finish should give them a bump in their national ranking while solidifying their standing in the region regardless of their finish in Santa Barbara.
Par five scoring was under-par across the board at the Hanny Stanislaus Invite, with the entire field struggling to score positively on the par threes and par fours. Naoki Easterday, Cooper Hambrick, and Travis Miller all took advantage of the par four holes, scoring productively throughout the week on this set of holes.
Naoki Easterday has showcased an outstanding level of golf this spring, rounding out his regular season with his fifth straight top-five finish. The 62nd-ranked golfer in the nation penciled in only two bogeys as he turned in three-under-par scores, totaling a 207 (-9) in Turlock.
Easterday was one of only two golfers to register three rounds under par, finishing only three strokes back from the leader.
Travis Miller led the way in the final round after a 68 (-4) final round on Tuesday, capping off his regular season by carding a 215 (-1). Miller helped his squad climb into the second-place spot with seven birdies in the final round to make it a safe getaway from the rest of the field. He claimed an 18th place finish, jumping twenty-three spots in the final round.
Joining just recently at the start of the spring semester, Giuseppe Aliotti has found a significant role on the Wildcats top squad. Aliotti finished the tournament with a carded 213 (-3), completing the final round with a 71 (-1). He claimed an 11th-place finish on Tuesday following an impressive closing round on Monday of 67 (-5), carding the best single round over the week for the 'Cats.
Finishing in a similar position as Miller, Giuliano Kaminski closed out his time in Turlock with a 215 (-1). A consistent set of rounds, carding a 72 (E) in the final round, Kaminski rounded out the scoring for the 'Cats in the final round and helped them hold the second-place finish.
Ben Mouser scored 230 (+14) at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational, finishing in a T-70th position.
Playing as individuals, Cooper Hambrick and Ethan Allred found success in their final regular season outing. Hambrick finished 39th with a carded 220 (+4), with teammate Allred closing out the week with a 218 (+2) in 32nd on the leaderboard.
