Men's Golf 4/26/2026 5:55:00 PM Chris Brannick

Central Oklahoma Headed To Regionals In Michigan

Bronchos Are No. 1 Team In Central Region

INDIANAPOLIS – Central Oklahoma is officially headed to the NCAA Central/Midwest Regional Championships May 7-9 as the NCAA announced its 80-team, 32-individuals field for regionals on Sunday afternoon.

The eight regions will compete at four sites in a 54-hole tournament. Central Oklahoma is looking to defend its 2024 and 2025 Central/Midwest Regional titles this year in Big Rapids, Michigan.

UCO is the No. 1 team in the 10-team Central Region. Central Missouri, Harding, Washburn, Winona State, Pittsburg State, Arkansas Tech, Southern Arkansas, Missouri Western, and Arkansas Fort Smith also qualified. Fort Hays State, Northeastern State, Southwestern Oklahoma State, and Sioux Falls are sending individual qualifiers.

Grand Valley State is the No. 1 team in the Midwest Region. Findlay, Missouri S&T, Missouri – St. Louis, Rockhurst, Ferris State, Davenport, Tiffin, Wayne State, and Hillsdale are teams qualifying from the Midwest Region. Drury, Cedarville, and Ashland have individual qualifiers.

Central Oklahoma won six tournaments this season, three in the fall and three in the spring – each of the last three tournaments played. UCO won The Mule, the NSU Classic, and the MSSU Fall Invitational, as well as the Tommy Riggs Collegiate Invitational, Firekeeper Invitational, and the MIAA Men's Golf Championship.

UCO has a 285.0 scoring average through 11 events, 32 rounds of golf.

MIAA Men's Golfer of the Year Nick Canales leads the Bronchos with a 71.2 scoring average and has one individual win this season. Baylor Bostick (71.9) has two wins, including the MIAA Men's Golf individual title two weeks ago.

Karsten Paciotti (72.1), Rhett Hughes (72.3), and Bryant Polhill (70.4) all earned All-MIAA as well. Hughes also has one win. Bostick, Canales, Hughes, and Paciotti each have 18 rounds of par or better this season. Polhill 10 of 15 rounds this fall at par or better, including a low of 66. He has not played since the fall.

Central Oklahoma won the 2024 NCAA Central/Midwest Regional at KickingBird Golf Club in Edmond with a 17-under-par 823. The Bronchos needed every bit of it in a one-shot win over Henderson State. Then freshmen, Canales (-1, 209) finished 23rd and Bostick (+1, 211) 34th.

UCO won the 2025 NCAA Central/Midwest Regional at St. Joseph Country Club in Missouri. The Bronchos shot a 5-under 847 and won by 15 shots. The sophomore Canales finished tied for first with a 6-under 207 before losing a playoff for the individual title. The sophomore Bostick finished 36th with 7-over 220. Paciotti made is regional debut last year and was tied with Bostick with a 220 as well.

Central Oklahoma is aiming for its sixth regional championship next month in Michigan, as well as the chance to advance to the NCAA Division II Men's Golf Championships May 18-22 at Boulder Creek in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Players Mentioned

Baylor Bostick: Junior

Nick Canales: Junior

Rhett Hughes: Sophomore

Karsten Paciotti: Senior

Bryant Polhill: Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Baylor Bostick
: Junior

Nick Canales
: Junior

Rhett Hughes
: Sophomore

Karsten Paciotti
: Senior

Bryant Polhill
: Sophomore