Record-Breaking Round Propels Flyers to 39-Shot Lead
The Sandhills Community College golf team delivered a historic performance in the third round of the NJCAA Division III National Championship, firing a blistering 12-under-par 276 to set a new NJCAA Championship single-round record. The previous low of 280 was set by last year's Flyers squad—underscoring the sustained excellence of the Sandhills program under the national spotlight.
With today's dominant showing, the Flyers extended their team lead to a commanding 39 strokes over second-place Georgia Military College. Sandhills now sits at 8-under-par for the tournament (286-294-276), while Georgia Military is at +31 (300-298-297).
Leading the way was Landon Cabingas, who posted a sensational 5-under 67, tying him for the second-lowest round ever recorded in NJCAA Championship history. His effort vaulted him into third place individually at 2-under for the tournament (75-72-67).
Vegas Melen remained steady atop the leaderboard, shooting a third-round 69 to maintain his individual lead at 7-under-par (69-71-69). Teammate Wyatt Beaver followed closely behind with a 71, placing him second at 3-under (68-74-71).
William Mitchell also surged up the leaderboard with a strong 3-under 69, bringing his total to +4 overall (74-77-69), good for sixth place.
Team Standings After Round 3:
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Sandhills CC – -8 (286-294-276)
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Georgia Military – +31
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DuPage – +46
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Niagara County CC – +72
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Hudson Valley CC – +79
Individual Top Performers:
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Vegas Melen (Sandhills CC) – -7 (69-71-69)
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Wyatt Beaver (Sandhills CC) – -3 (68-74-71)
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Landon Cabingas (Sandhills CC) – -2 (75-72-67)
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Jacob Marquardt (Butler County CC) – -1 (71-76-67)
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Ross Tetrault (Georgia Military) – +3 (74-71-74)
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William Mitchell (Sandhills CC) – +4 (74-77-69)
Final Round Thursday
The top-ranked Sandhills Flyers will look to close out their dominant performance at the NJCAA National Championship on Friday morning, beginning their final round between 10:48 and 11:24 a.m. Vegas Melen, who currently leads the individual standings at 7-under par, will be the last Flyer to tee off at 11:24 a.m. He'll be joined by teammates Wyatt Beaver (11:15), Landon Cabingas (11:06), William Mitchell (10:57), and Evan Cowell (10:48) as Sandhills aims to defend its national title and cap off a historic week in Chautauqua.
