Bremerton, Wash. (May 1, 2022) --  The Wyoming Cowboy golf team saved its best round for last, firing a 283 (-5) on Sunday in the final round of the 2022 Mountain West Men's Golf Championship.  That helped the Pokes catch San Jose State and tie the Spartans for sixth place in the 11-team field.  It ties for the second best finish by a Cowboy golf team in MW Championship history.
 
Redshirt sophomore Jimmy Dales concluded the tournament shooting a final round 71 (-1) and his 54-hole total of 211 (-5) tied him for seventh.  Redshirt freshman Patrick Azevedo closed out Sunday's final round with a 70 (-2) and a three-round total of 212 (-4) to tie for ninth.  Dales and Azevedo became only the second pair of Cowboy teammates to both finish in the Top 10 at the same MW Championship.  The only other Wyoming teammates to accomplish that were John Murdock and Dan Starzinski, who placed fifth and eighth, respectively, in the 2019 conference championship.
 
The Cowboys final team round of 283 (-5) was the second lowest round on Sunday behind only New Mexico's 276 (-12).  Wyoming and San Jose State tied for sixth at 863 (-1) for the tournament, only two strokes behind the fifth-place New Mexico Lobos at 861 (-3).
 
Dales and Azevedo weren't the only Cowboys who played well on Sunday.  All five Pokes playing on Sunday shot even par or under par.  Freshman Jaren Calkins shot an even-par round of 72 in the final round and his three-round total of 220 (+4) tied him for 28th.  Juniors Kirby Coe-Kirkham and Tyler Severin each shot final rounds of 71 (-1) to help fuel the Cowboys strong finish.  Since Coe-Kirkham and Severin each played only two rounds in the three-round tournament, they did not qualify to place individually.  Senior Bryce Waters also played in only two of three rounds and so didn't qualify to place individually.
 
"I am really, really proud of our team," said Joe Jensen, UW Director of Golf.  "They just kept fighting all week and to shoot the second best round on the final day says a lot about our guys. 
 
"Jimmy (Dales) was great.  I told him that every team needs a solid No. 1 player to have success and that is what he was for us this week.  For Pat (Azevedo) to play the way he did this week was a credit to him controlling his emotions and maintaining his focus.  To have a sophomore and a freshman both finish in the Top 10 is exciting for our program, and it's exciting to think that all five of our players who played today will be back next year."  
 
The only times Wyoming has finished higher in the MW Championship were in 2018 and 2002 when the Pokes placed fifth.  The 2018 tournament was against a field of 11 teams, while the 2002 fifth-place showing was against a smaller field of eight teams.  UW has finished sixth two previous times in 2016, in an 11-team field, and 2005, in an eight-team field.
 
The 2022 Mountain West team championship was won by San Diego State, who entered the final round two shots behind Colorado State.  The Aztecs concluded with a final round of 286 (-2), while CSU posted a final round of 292 (+4).  SDSU finished with a 54-hole total of 842 (-22).  Colorado State placed second at 846 (-18).
 
The individual title was won by Connor Jones of Colorado State, whose final total of 206 (-10), was one shot better than Hugo Townsend of Boise State's 207 (-9). Sam Choi of New Mexico shot the lowest round of the tournament, a 65 (-7) on Sunday, to make a run at the title.  He tied for third at 208 (-8) with three other individuals.
 
The Cowboys took advantage of the NCAA Substitution Rule at this year's MW Championship.  Junior Kirby Coe-Kirkham played in the first and third rounds on Friday and Sunday.  Fellow junior Tyler Severin was inserted into the Wyoming lineup on Saturday and Sunday, and senior Bryce Waters played in the first and second rounds on Friday and Saturday.
 
The 2022 Mountain West Championship was played on the Olympic Course at Gold Mountain Golf Club in Bremerton,Wash.  The course measured 7,115 yards and played to a par of 72.
 
Team Standings
1.   San Diego State                   283-273-286=842 (-22)
2.   Colorado State                     280-274-292=846 (-18)
3.   Nevada                                 288-279-287=854 (-10)
4.   Boise State                           282-289-285=856 (-8)
5.   New Mexico                          300-285-276=861 (-3)
6.   Wyoming                             290-290-283=863 (-1)
      San Jose State                     294-282-287=863 (-1)
8.   Fresno State                         293-291-293=877 (+13)
9.   Utah State                             293-299-291=883 (+19)
10. UNLV                                     293-303-293=889 (+25)
11. Air Force                                313-309-311=933 (+69)
 
Wyoming Cowboys
T7   Jimmy Dales                        69-71-71=211 (-5)
T9   Patrick Azevedo                   73-69-70=212 (-4)
T28 Jaren Calkins                       72-76-72=220 (+4)
NA Tyler Severin                         74-NA-71=145 (+1) (Played only in the Second and Third Rounds)
NA Kirby Coe-Kirkham                77-NA-71=148 (+4) (Played only in the First and Third Rounds)
NA Bryce Waters                         76-83-NA=159 (+15) (Played only in the First and Second Rounds)