ROCK HILL, S.C. - Gallaudet Disc Golf team's breakthrough season ends with a trip to the sport's biggest collegiate stage.

After playing in three local and regional tournaments in the last two months, the Gallaudet University disc golf team competed for the first time in the 2025 Collegiate Disc Golf National Championships, which took place from April 2 to 5 in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and were hosted by Winthrop University. The event featured over 200 teams across three divisions, with 880 participants playing on five courses: Winthrop Meadows, Winthrop Lake, Camp Canaan, Westminster Park, and Westminster Park Temp. Some schools sent multiple teams. The national championships consisted of four rounds, but three rounds of team play and one for singles. 

Gallaudet competed in Division III (DIII), which consisted of 47 teams. Jaylen Johnson (Redlands, Calif.), Donovan Holmes (Valley Springs, Calif.), Nicholas Barron (Faribault, Minn.), and Travis Carrizales (Austin, Texas) represented Gallaudet through the competition.
 
On April 2, Gallaudet opened the tournament with the first round of team play at Westminster Park Temp. The Bison shot a solid -7, placing them tied for 26th out of 47 teams in their division—a strong start for their first appearance at the Nationals.
 
The second round on April 3 shifted to singles play at Winthrop Meadows, with 181 individual competitors in Division III. Singles play proved more difficult, as each competitor only must be responsible for any mistakes they may make in contrast to team play. Led by Johnson with a score of -2 (tied 39th), the team finished with an average of +2 after accounting for the rest of the team, with Barron with -1 (T48), Holmes with +1 (T78) and Carrizales with +8 (T156). Gallaudet was in 25th place alone after two rounds of play.
 
On April 4, the third round brought the Bison back to team play, this time at Westminster Park. Gallaudet shot a -4 in the round, which tied them 27th among DIII teams after three rounds.
 
The team closed the tournament strong on April 5 in the fourth and final round of team play at Winthrop Meadows. The Bison posted their best round of the event with a -9, leading them to a tie for 24th out of 47 teams in Division III.
 
They finished with an overall score of -18, tying for 24th place. Milligan University C took the Division III title with a -41, and the scores across the division varied widely, with a 65-stroke difference from first to last. Gallaudet's debut performance was impressive and promising, and they showed strong potential in their first year at College Disc Golf Nationals.
 
"I can't ask for a better experience at the national championships week! We were able to see the higher level of competition that motivated us and played great. We have also improved our game skills!" Johnson exclaimed, "This experience made me look forward to next year and getting a higher ranking! I also really appreciate each of my teammates for supporting each other throughout the experience! Go Bison!!"
 
Also see:

• College Disc Golf
• 2025 College Disc Golf National Championships

 
UP NEXT:
The 2024-2025 season has concluded for the Gallaudet team.