CHICO, Calif. — The Jessup University men's golf team opened its 2026-27 season with a seventh-place finish at the Wildcat Classic, hosted by Chico State, posting a three-round total of -6 (-2, +2, -6) in a tightly bunched field near the top of the leaderboard. Host Chico State ran away with the team title at -42, followed by Stanislaus State (-34) and a tie for third between CSU Monterey Bay and CSU East Bay (-28 each).

Jessup's round-by-round line told the story of a team that found its footing as the tournament went on. The Warriors opened with a solid -2 in round one before slipping to +2 in round two, a stretch the team battled through in windy, difficult conditions. Jessup answered emphatically in the final round, carding a team score of -6 to close out the tournament — its best round of the week and one of the strongest final-round showings in the field, moving the Warriors up the leaderboard and into a tie for seventh overall.

Individually, three Warriors finished the tournament under par. Jacobus Brakkee led the way for Jessup, tying for seventh individually at -8 after rounds of -4, -4 and even par. Job Damen, competing as an individual, also finished under par at -3 (T23), while Paolo Castaneda capped his week with a standout final-round 67 (-5) to climb to -2 and a share of 25th, after opening the tournament at even par and +3. Nick Chavarin rounded out Jessup's counting scores at even par for the tournament (T35), while Dylan Meskowsky (+9), Braden Armstrong (+11, individual), Emilio Morales (+6, individual) and Trevor Halloran (+14, individual) also competed for the Warriors.

Head coach Seth Heppner reflected on the team's season-opening performance. "The boys opened up the season with a little bit of a shootout this week. Lots of birdies to be had. They hung tough, but certainly not where we wanted to finish on the leaderboard," he said. "Regardless, extremely proud as a whole. Team wise this was a good measuring stick for us to see where we are at and what we need to get to as the season goes on. On the individual side, Jacobus, Paolo and Job all finished under par, which was great to see. We'll keep building, and I believe the future is extremely bright for this squad!"

The Warriors will look to build on this week's performance as they continue their season and prepare for the PacWest schedule ahead.  
About Jessup University Athletics Jessup University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Division II and the PacWest Conference. For additional information regarding Jessup Athletics, visit www.jessupathletics.com; visit www.jessup.edu for more information on Jessup University. Follow Jessup Athletics on social media: Jessup University Athletics (Facebook) and @JessupAthletics (Instagram & X).