Men's Golf | 09.07.2025
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Zach Anderson leads LC State Golf into the 2025-26 season for his fourth season on Monday. Both Warrior teams enter the year ranked in the top 25 with the men at No. 19 and the women at No. 25, and both are making noise in the Cascade Conference preseason polls. The 2025-26 season begins Sept. 8 at the two-day Walla Walla Invitational at Wine Valley Golf Club.
The Warrior men were picked to finish second in the CCC with a pair of first-place votes, while the women were picked the finish third. British Columbia was predicted to win both titles a season after the UBC women secured their third NAIA title in four years.
"It's nice to be preseason ranked but at the end of the day it means nothing," Anderson said. "We have to go out there and prove that we are among the best. I believe both teams have the talent but it's all about how we can handle the pressure situations."
Despite graduating two talented seniors in
Alex Navarro and
Oscar Behle, the LC State men return a talented roster highlighted by returning All-Cascade Conference golfer
Lucas Ortega. Ortega, a sophomore, hit his stride in the spring along with junior
Luke West. Senior
Sondre Andresen will compete in his fifth and final season with the Warriors as the longest tenured player in the program. He earned All-CCC honors as a sophomore before battling injuries in recent years.
"We have a solid returning core," Anderson said. "They have really bought in to the team culture we are building which has allowed the newcomers to see how we operate. We expect a lot out of them after the success we had in the spring."
The Warrior men had a tough fall in 2024 but rebounded to be one of the NAIA's best in the spring portion of the season. Ortega averaged 74.7 strokes last season to lead the team's returners and earned two top-five finishes in the spring. LC State welcomed four newcomers to the men's program this season with three freshmen and Multnomah transfer
Aaron Brown. Brown brings two seasons of experience as the top player for the Lions, and first-years
Adam Lovatt,
Andrea Artusini and
Casey Johansen will look to make a big impact in their first collegiate seasons.
LC State will send out Ortega, West, Andresen, senior
Jaxon Moon and Lovatt in the first tournament of the year. The Walla Walla Invitational is a CCC tournament and will count towards conference standings.
On the women's side, All-CCC honoree
Isabella Barquet returns for her junior season to lead an experienced Warrior team. The Mexican native led LC State with a 77.2 scoring average last season and finished in the top 10 at every tournament last season.
Dallis Shockey, the lone four-year senior on the squad, brings the most experience to the group heading into her final campaign.
"We are really excited about Dallis, Sondre and Lucas," Anderson said of they key returners. "They have stepped into big shoes by being the team captains and I trust their leadership will carry these teams far."
Talented sophomores
Giulia Belfontali and
Jane Barry are also back after strong collegiate debuts. Belfontali highlighted her spring with a win at The Warrior Spring Classic.
Chase Caruso and
Natalia Gomez at key experience from the junior class.
"Our women have really improved in all aspects over the past two seasons," Anderson said. "As this core group continues to grow, they are maturing in their decision making and overall game. Of course, we have high expectations for them but the expectations they have set for themselves are even higher."
LC State added a piece to its roster in the offseason in Sandpoint standout
Taylor Mire. The local product will make an immediate impact as a member of the scoring team in the first tournament of the season.
Along with Mire, LC State will send out Barquet, Shockey, Belfontali and Barry at the Walla Walla Invitational.
Stay up to date with all things Warrior Athletics at lcwarriors.com and on social media @LCWarriors.
