NEW YORK, NY – The Chico State men’s golf team has jettisoned to No. 7 in the Golf World/Nike Coaches’ Poll after winning a share of the InterWest Wildcat Classic title. That effort followed a pair of third-place finishes to start the season.

The ’Cats jumped nine spots in the rankings thanks to a solid overall performance and outstanding individual efforts from those like Sylvester Gama (-3) and Kyle Souza (-1).

The competition at Butte Creek Country Club saw the Wildcats tie Holy Names University (ranked No. 3 in the Nation at the NAIA level) and pull clear of runners-up Cal State Stanislaus and St. Martin’s by 11 strokes.

Through three tournaments, the Wildcats are 195-8 against Division II competition, including 6-0 against the top-25, and they boast a team scoring average of par.

Chico State is joined by two other California Collegiate Athletic Association squads in the top 25: Cal State Stanislaus at No. 12 and the Sonoma State Seawolves at No. 20 – slipping all the way from a previous ranking of fourth.

Next up, the No. 7 Wildcats will head to Santa Rosa for the Seawolves Intercollegiate tournament on Oct. 19 and 20.

“I’m really excited about the depth of this team,” said head coach T.L. Brown. “The future looks bright.”