LAS CRUCES, N.M. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs sophomore
Colin Prater shot a 2-under 69 today and tied for fifth overall, but fell in the playoff for a berth in the national championships as the Mountain Lions concluded the 2016 NCAA Division II West / South Central Region Championships. UCCS finished in a tie for No. 12 in the team standings with a 15-over 299 today at the New Mexico State University Golf Course.
Prater recorded a pair of birdies in his final seven holes and tied with Western New Mexico's Calum Hill and California State-Monterey Bay's Carr Vernon for fifth. All three golfers were among teams that did not advance to the national championships, and the three were tied for the final individual berth. The golfers started at hole 1 for the playoff, where Hill earned the qualifying spot with an even four while Prater and Vernon finished with a 1-over five on the hole.
Prater finished the tournament a 2-under 211 in his sixth top-five finish of the season. He averaged 71.8 strokes per season this season, was a two-time RMAC Golfer of the Week, and a member of the All-RMAC First Team and RMAC All-Tournament Team. Prater is a semifinalist for the Jack Nicklaus Division II National Golfer of the Year.
Zach Tripp remained consistent with his third straight round of a 4-over 75 for the second team score for the Mountain Lions today. He finished his collegiate career with a 12-over 225 in his third regional championship appearance. He was an RMAC Golfer of the Week this season and finished with three top-five finishes in his four-year career. Tripp was a member of the All-RMAC First Team.
Kyle Southard turned in a 5-over 76 for the second straight day. He had the second-best tournament score for UCCS with an 11-over 224 and tied for No. 55. Southard also concluded his collegiate career today and recorded a pair of top-five finishes in his senior campaign. Southard earned All-RMAC First team honors.
Zach Berhost rounded out the team score with an 8-over 79 today. He recorded his first eagle of the tournament on the second-to-last hole and was even on holes one through nine. Berhost finished the tournament with a 17-over 230.
Chris Reina did not record a score in today's round after a violation early in the round.
The Mountain Lions missed the cutoff for a team appearance at the NCAA Division II National Championships with a tournament score of a 33-over 885. UCCS tied Dominican and was three strokes out of a top 10 finish.
UCCS won five tournaments this season and finished as the RMAC regular season and tournament champions. Head Coach
Phil Trujillo was named the RMAC Co-Coach of the Year and the Mountain Lions qualified for the NCAA regional championships for the 15th consecutive season.
