PALM COAST, Fla. — A historic week for CIU men's golf ended in championship fashion Wednesday at the NCCAA National Championship, as senior Luke Hammond claimed the first individual national title in program history at Hammock Beach Golf Resort.

After recording the lowest 18-hole score in tournament history with a 7-under-par 65 in Tuesday's second round, Hammond followed with a composed final round of 73 (+1) to secure the top spot on the leaderboard. The senior's consistent play throughout the week earned him the NCCAA Individual Men's Golf National Championship and a spot on the NCCAA All-American Team.

As a team, the Rams shot a 291 (+3) in the final round to finish third overall with a three-day total of 893, marking one of the strongest national championship performances in program history. Behind Hammond, Braydon Hileman shot an even-par 72, while Andrew Haarlow and Nate Caughman each carded rounds of 73 (+1). Santos Espinosa rounded out the CIU lineup with a 79 (+7).

Head coach Major McWhorter praised his team's effort, saying, "This week has been an unbelievable experience for our team. We fought from Day 1 to the end of Day 3 and I am so proud of each and every one of our guys. Major congratulations to Luke on winning a National Championship as an All-American individual. He kept us in contention all week with his play."

The Rams will return to action Oct. 27–28 at the AAC Fall Preview at Barnsley Garden Resort in Adairsville, Ga.