Colorado Springs resident Colin Prater, the 2016 CGA Amateur champion, concluded his college career at Colorado-Colorado Springs by placing 12th individually. Also tied for 12th was another Coloradan and a senior, Josh Gardella of Colorado Christian. Gardella closed with a 3-under-par 69 on Wednesday, while Prater (pictured) had a bogey-free 70, both good for a 4-under 212 total for three rounds. They finished 13 strokes behind individual winner John VanDerLaan of Florida Southern.

And the Colorado School of Mines’ George Markham, a junior from Phoenix, ended up 20th Wedneday at 215. He played his final 11 holes in 2 under par after going 7 over in a four-hole stretch en route to a final-round 76.

The top eight team finishers in stroke play will advance to match play, and UCCS ended up in the ninth spot, though the Mountain Lions were nine strokes out of eighth place.

Colorado Christian, making its first NCAA Division II Finals appearance, placed 16th in the 20-team field.

Men’s NCAA Division II Finals
May 21-23, 2018 (final) in Muscle Shoals, Ala.
9. (out of 20 teams) Colorado-Colorado Springs 298-293-286–877
12. Colin Prater 71-71-70–212
39. Tanner Comes 77-71-72–220
44. Ji Jang 75-75-71–221
63. Jack Duguid 75-76-73–224
95. Isaac Spillum 80-77-78–235

16. Colorado Christian 303-296-299–898
12. Josh Gardella 70-73-69–212
63. Nolan Backman 73-73-78–224
85. Noah Woolsey 80-76-75–231
92. Chase Carlson 82-74-77–233
106. Eric Oneth 80-80-89–249

Also
20. George Markham, Colorado School of Mines 70-69-76–215
 

Two schools from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference — Colorado-Colorado Springs and Colorado Christian — earned team berths into the NCAA DII Finals, which will be held May 21-25 in Muscle Shoals, Ala. And Colorado School of Mines junior George Markham prevailed on the second hole of a playoff to win the individual title in Amarillo. He’ll also be headed to nationals — the first Oredigger to do so since Jim Knous (2012), another Regional champion.

UCCS finished fourth in the 20-team regional field, while Colorado Christian tied for fifth and prevailed in a playoff against Sonoma State on the first extra hole to land the final team berth to nationals. It’s the first time since 2014 that UCCS has advanced.

Senior Colin Prater, winner of the 2016 CGA Amateur, and sophomore Tanner Comes led the way indivdiually for UCCS, tying for third place at 4-under-par 209. Sophomore Chase Carlson paced Colorado Christian by finishing 11th at 215.

On Wednesday, Markham fired his second straight 4-under-par 67 to close the tournament, ending up at 5-under 208. Then he defeated Emilio Gonzales of St. Mary’s of Texas on the second extra hole to land the individual title.

Markham (pictured with Mines coach Tyler Kimble) played his final eight holes of regulation in 4 under par.

Men’s NCAA Division II Super-Regionals
West/South Central Regional
May 7-9, 2018 (final) in Amarillo, Texas

4. (out of 20 teams) Colorado-Colorado Springs 294-287-290–871
3. Colin Prater 74-66-69–209
3. Tanner Comes 70-71-68–209
37. Jack Duguid 72-77-73–222
99. Peter Johns 78-78-80–236
105. Igancio De la Vega 83-73-85–241

5. Colorado Christian 291-286-301–878
11. Chase Carlson 71-69-75–215
19. Noah Woolsey 75-69-74–218
30. Nolan Backman 69-76-76–221
88. Josh Gardella 83-72-76–231
99. Eric Oneth 76-79-81–236

9. Colorado School of Mines 298-287-295–880
T1. George Markham 74-67-67–208
30. Tim Amundson 72-75-74–221
64. Jordan Bass 72-73-8–226
76. Nic Beno 80-74-75–229
89. Alan Berry 80-73-79–232

19. Colorado State University-Pueblo 314-294-301–909
37. Roy Carlson 79-70-73–222
53. Nathan McCann 76-75-73–224
83. Sam Barthram 79-72-79–230
94. Neil Tillman 80-78-76–234
106. Fraser Hughes 83-77-82–242

Also
22. Nicholas Tunuta, Regis 77-70-72–219
53. Grant Olinger, Colorado Mesa 78-72-74–224
 

And a number of Colorado-based players are still in the running for national berths after Tuesday’s second round of the regionals. What they’re shooting for are spots in either the men’s DII nationals, scheduled for May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver, or the women’s DII finals, set for May 18-21 at CommonGround Golf Course.

On the men’s side, the top five team finishers and the top two individuals not on those teams from each regional will earn spots in the finals in Denver.

University of Colorado-Colorado Springs sits in seventh place at the men’s West/South Central Regional, two strokes out of the fifth position in Las Cruces, N.M.

Individually, UCCS’ Colin Prater (even-par 142; seventh place), Colorado Christian’s Luke Condon (also 142, seventh place), and Colorado School of Mines’ Nick Berry and George Markham (both 144, 19th place) are within striking distance of the lead of Dallas Baptist’s Josh Aguilar (139).

As for the women, the top three team finishers at each regional, and the top three individuals not on those teams, will earn spots in the NCAA DII finals at CommonGround.

Metro State junior Allie Johnston, the 2012 CWGA Match Play champion, vaulted up to seventh place on Tuesday in Super Region 4 with a 2-under-par 70 in Stockton, Calif. Her 1-over 145 total leaves the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Women’s Player of the Year five strokes out of the lead. And her teammate, Cha Cha Willhoite, isn’t out of the mix either, at 148 and in 19th place.

Had the tournament ended on Tuesday, Johnston would have earned an individual berth to nationals.

Women’s NCAA Division II Super Region 4
May 2-4, 2016 in Stockton, Calif.
7. Allie Johnston, Metro State 75-70–145
19. Cha Cha Willhoite, Metro State 74-74–148
For all of the Region 4 results, CLICK HERE.

Men’s NCAA Division II West/South Central Regional
May 2-4, 2016 in Las Cruces, N.M.

7. (out of 20 teams) Colorado-Colorado Springs 293-293–586
7. Colin Prater 72-70–142; 42. Kyle Southard 72-76–148; 60. Zach Tripp 75-75–150; 69. Zach Berhost 74-77–151; 69. Chris Reina 79-72–151.
14. Colorado Christian 301-291–592
7. Luke Condon 73-69–142; 36. Nathaniel Goddard 74-73–147; 69. Matthew Goddard 78-73–151; 90. Sean Kato 76-78–154; 97. Andrew Kennedy 80-76–156.
19. Regis 296-308–604
69. Jack Savage 77-74–151; 69. Jordan McBrayer 75-76–151; 79. Sam McKay 73-79–152; 79. Grant Gavin 73-79–152; 95. Matt Robertson 75-80–155.
Also
19. Nick Berry, Colorado School of Mines 73-71–144
19. George Markham, Colorado School of Mines 73-71–144
101. Jacob Allenback, Colorado State-Pueblo 77-80–157
For all of the West/South Central Regional results, CLICK HERE.

The results of those regional tourneys will determine the field for the DII national finals, which will be played May 17-21 at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club in northeast Denver.

The NCAA announced on Friday that the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, Colorado Christian and Regis will advance teams to the South Central/West Regional that will be contested in Las Cruces, N.M., May 2-4. Out of the 10 teams from the South Central Region, Rocky Mountain Athletic Conferernce champion CU-Colorado Springs is seeded first, Colorado Christian second and Regis 10th.

Also at that site will be individual qualifiers Jacob Allenback, a junior from Colorado State-Pueblo, and freshman George Markham and senior Nick Berry of Colorado School of Mines.

The top five team finishers and the top two individuals not on those teams from each regional will earn spots in the finals in Denver.

In all, 80 teams and 32 individuals will compete in one of the the four combined regionals.

For the all the regional qualifiers, CLICK HERE.

Meanwhile, in men’s NCAA Division I conference tournaments, Colorado State stands in fourth place and the Air Force Academy in XXX after Friday’s opening round of the 54-hole Mountain West tournament in Tucson, Ariz.

The Rams shot a 7-under-par 281 and trails leader Fresno State by six strokes with two rounds left. Max Oelfke set the pace for CSU with a 3-under-par 69, which left him in sixth place, four out of the lead.

Air Force checked in at 287. The Falcons are being led by Brenden Bone, who shares fourth place at 68.

Men’s Mountain West Conference Championship
April 22-24, 2016 in Tucson, Ariz.
4. (out of 11 teams) Colorado State 281
6. Max Oelfke 69; 12. Kyler Dunkle 70; 13. Dominic Kieffer 71; 13. Jimmy Makloski 71; 33. Blake Cannon 73.

7. Air Force Academy 287
4. Brenden Bone 68; 13. Sunwoo Choi 71; 23. Tate Tatom 72; 4. Bryant Falconello 76; 51. Michael Fan 77.