In the last round, 289 was good enough to move past four other teams to take 12th place out of 20 teams competing. Overall, the team ended up at +42 with a total score of 907. Captain  Keith Okasaki did the best individually, coming in 16th at five over par. He was followed by freshman David Smith (+9), freshman Jacob Williams (+13) and freshman Lewis Simon (+17).

“To have your freshman [Simon and Williams] playing that well is almost unheard of in their first year at school,” head coach Mike Wydra said.

Freshmen have been a big part of the team this year.

“We have a lot of freshman on the team and we have a lot of potential,” Simon said. “We can do really well, we just all need to play well at the same time.”

At the Annual SoCal Intercollegiate on March 21-22, Okasaki had his personal best finish. He came in third individually, leading the team to a sixth place.

“To fight through all the swollen faces, bloodshot eyes, runny noses, and sneezing and everything else, still playing well is a testament to their toughness,” Wydra said. “As they got more and more comfortable with the course, I think they realized they could compete, and we’re excited going into the CCAA championships.”

Earlier in the season, the Tritons placed 10th out of 18 teams at the Grand Canyon Thunderbird Invitational on March 28 to 29. The team’s total score was 914, and Williams was the top individual for UCSD, scoring 224 for 24th place.

“Jacob Williams was tied for the lead going into the final round and he also did not fare well in the final round,” Wydra said. “But he got the same kind of experience that Lewis did.”

Williams finished 11 strokes behind the winner after a rough final round. Smith finished at 13 over, Okasaki finished at 16, while freshmen Simon and Anubhav Rastogi tied at 22 over par.

“We get the green there unbelievable fast, so that not only do you have to be a good putter,” Wydra said, ”You have to be able to plan and manage your game well.”

“I came up with some good shots when I needed them and I came up with good putts when I needed those,” Okasaki said. “I kept it together and just held on.”

Smith scored 238 for a 24th place finish, Simon finished at 243 and Williams scored 249.

At the Cal State East Bay Pioneer Shootout on March 7-8, Simon was the top finisher for UCSD with a 25th place finish. He was followed by Okasaki and Rastogi, who tied for 30th, and Williams received 54th. The team finished tenth overall with a score of 942.

Simon had his best finish of the season at the Coyote Classic Intercollegiate on Feb. 28 to March 1. He finished +3 (213) for tenth place individually.

“I was hitting the ball really well and I didn’t make that many mistakes,” Simon said.

Smith finished with a score of 227, and Okasaki and Williams tied with 232 each. The Tritons came in 11th overall.

Overall, hopes are high for the CCAA Championships.

“Hopefully we’ll carry something over from this last round,” Okasaki said

Okasaki and the Tritons will head to Paso Robles for the CCAA Championships April 18 and 19.

Readers can contact Jessica Traynoir at [email protected].