Posted with permission, article and pictures, courtesy of Hawaii Pacific University
PUEBLO, Colo. – Hawai’i Pacific University saved its best round to close the 2022 NCAA Division II West/South Central Super Regional Saturday at the Pueblo Country Club.
The Sharks tallied a 292 in the third and final round for a final total of 894.
HPU was led on the final day by senior Ryan Torres, from San Jose, Calif./Evergreen Valley and sophomore Keita Okada of Tokyo, Japan/Bradenton, Fla. IMG Academy who both fired an even-par 71 on the 6,522-yard Pueblo Country Club championship loop.
Torres played his final collegiate round with four birdies and four bogeys, two on each nine, to finish even for the day and at 9-over 222 for the 54 holes.
Okada opened his round with three straight bogeys, only to bounce back with two birdies and the fourth bogey on the front nine. He shot two birdies on the second nine to finish the tournament at 4-over-217.
Junior Keli’i Kamelamela-Dudoit, of Ho’olehua, Hawai’i/Kamehameha-Kapalama and freshman Grant Garrison of Lake Tapps, Wash./Sumner both carded 4-over 75 in the final round. Kamelamela-Dudoit tied with Torres at 9-over 222, while Garrison ended with a 232. Senior Ray Kim of Aiea, Hawai’i/Moanalua closed with an 86 to finish at 252.
The team title was taken by host Colorado State-Pueblo who collected a 284 in the final round to win by a stroke at 7-under 845 ahead of Colorado Mesa and Midwestern State (Texas) at 6-under 846. Oklahoma Christian finished fourth at 848 to take the final team spot to the NCAA Division II Championships in Detroit, Mich.
The individual title was claimed by Cal State San Marcos’ Matthew Pennington who won a four-hole playoff with Midwestern State’s Garrett Leek. Both fired 5-under 66s in the final round to tie at 9-under 204 that led to the playoff. Cal State Monterey Bay’s Liam Allder also had a 5-under 66 on Saturday to take third at 7-under 206. Pennington and Allder will advance as medalists to the championships.
The historic 2022 season comes to a close for HPU. The Sharks won their first-ever PacWest Conference Championship for PacWest Conference Coach of the Year Ed Kageyama to advance to the super regional. Okada won his second straight PacWest Individual Championship and was named the PacWest Conference Golfer of the Year.
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