Fort Lewis College Athletics

Ronald Kildall III at the 2023-24 RMAC Championships - Apr. 21, 2024

George Kopf, RMAC Communications

Ronald Kildall III tees off with his driver at the RMAC Championships at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev. (Apr. 21-23, 2024)

Kildall III leads charge at Hot Dirt Desert Shootout

Skyhawks wrap up first of two tournaments in Arizona

3/21/2025 10:30:00 PM

By: Hayden Mangan, Assistant AD-Communications & Fan Engagement

GOODYEAR, Ariz. – Senior Ronald Kildall III notched the second-highest finish of his career on Friday afternoon on the back of a two-round career-low score of 135 (-9) to help Fort Lewis secure an eighth-place finish among 14 teams at the Hot Dirt Desert Shootout at the Golf Club of Estrella.

The Skyhawks struggled in its first trip through the course, finishing round one with a nine-over-par score of 297, the third highest in the opening round. Fort Lewis then improved dramatically in round two, shaving off 15 strokes to cap the second round with a 282 (-6) to ultimately finish just three strokes above par with a final score of 579. The mark put FLC ahead of ninth-place Westminster, who finished with a 580 (+4). Colorado School of Mines and Stanislaus State edged the Skyhawks with a pair of 578 (+2) team scores.

No. 1 Colorado Christian, the reigning Division II National Champions, lived up to the title and won the tournament outright on a 35-under-par team score of 541. The Cougars topped second place and No. 27 Colorado Mesa (558, -18) by an astounding 17 strokes. It was CCU's Adam Duncan, a senior from Bakersfield, Calif., who took home individual medalist honors by way of a two-stroke lead and a 12-under-par 132.

Kildall III was the top Skyhawk in the tournament as the Everett, Wash., native bested his previous two-round low by 11 strokes. After using three birdies to offset a pair of bogeys and finish with a one-under 71 in round one, Kildall III then followed suit with the best single round of his career, recording eight birdies and finishing par or below en route to a 64 (-8).

Senior Jake Chesler and junior Traejan Andrews notched the only other top-50 finishes for Fort Lewis with the duo tying for 30^th and 40^th, respectively. Chesler finished the tournament with a one-over 145 and Andrews with a five-over 149. Tyler Tyson took a tie for 53^rd with a 152 (+8) and Jordan Jennings 72^nd on a 157 (+13). Ian Henderson, who competed as an unattached individual, took a tie for 62^nd with a ten-over 154.

Up Next
The one-day, 36-hole tournament marked the beginning of a five-day road trip in the heat of the Arizona desert. The Skyhawks will take Saturday off before hitting the course at Verrado Golf Club in Buckeye, Ariz., for The Stack Cougar-Burro Collegiate, a three-day, 54-hole tournament, this Sunday through Tuesday, Mar. 23-25.

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