FULLERTON, CA – The NAIA No.10-ranked UBC Thunderbirds (913, +49) saved their best for last at the 2025 Van Harte Orange County Collegiate Classic, improving by 11 strokes between rounds two and three to finish in a tie for ninth at the challenging NCAA DI event.
The 'Birds were the only non-Division I team at the three-round, two-day, ten-team tournament, hosted by CSU Fullerton and UC Irvine at the Coto de Casa Golf & Racquet Club. Fullerton (870, +6) would go on to win the event, edging out UC Riverside (872, +8) by two strokes and UC Irvine (873, +9) by three.
Individually for UBC,
Aidan Schumer (221, +5) was the top T-Bird, posting the best score on the team in two of the three rounds to finish in a tie for 17th. He was followed by
Mackenzie Bickell (229, +13) and
Aneesh Kaura (230, +14) who finished 35
th and 36
th respectively.
FULL LEADERBOARD
Monday's first round was up and down for UBC, with the team shooting a combined +20 (308) to sit ninth and 21 strokes off of the lead. Bickell and first-year
Jake Houston both shot a team-best 76 (+4) to help keep the 'Birds in contention.
Despite remaining competitive and posting the same score in round two, which was again ninth best in the field, the blue and gold slipped to a close 10
th place after day one. Schumer's 72 (E) was one up on a nice round from Kaura (73, +1) to lead the way.
On Tuesday the T-Birds found their form, improving by 11 strokes to shoot +9 (297) and gain eight strokes on Southern Utah, catching them to tie for ninth. UBC's round three score would have had them in fourth in the first round. Schumer and Bickell both shot 72 (E) to co-lead the late charge.
This marked the last NCAA DI event on the calendar for UBC this season, with the team returning to NAIA play early next month. The RMC Intercollegiate take place March 3-5 at Reflection Bay Golf Club in Henderson, Nevada, where the T-Birds will look to repeat as champions.
