ROCK HILL, S.C. – In only its second year of existence, the Gallaudet University disc golf club made momentous strides during the 2026 College Disc Golf National Championships from April 8-11 here on the campus of Winthrop University.
The Bison battled through an exhausting four-day schedule to finish tied for 18th out of 67 teams in the Mixed Collegiate Division 3 (MC3). Liberty University's Light Blue team ultimately secured the title.
The tournament was a full-circle moment for the student who had a dream. Senior
Donovan Holmes (Valley Springs, Calif.), who finished his collegiate career this week, will be remembered as the one who started it all. As a freshman, Holmes had a dream of being on a club and then of competing on a disc golf team, when at the time, the university did not have one. With the support of campus advisors, the club got established and first operated as a student organization for a year before being transferred to the Athletics Department. With the guidance of Program Manager and Coach
Tom McKnight, the dream became a reality when a legitimate, sanctioned team was formed under College Disc Golf just one year ago.
Joining Holmes for this final ride were fellow seniors
Jaylen Johnson (Redlands, Calif.) and
Nicholas Barron (Faribault, Minn.) along with graduate student
Connor Baer (Cheverly, Md.).
GU opened with a 4-under-par 55 score in the first round at the Westminster Park Longs course, as the team started off sitting in 21st place. However, the momentum slowed during the singles round on the Westminster Temp course, where the team averaged a 2-over-par (62), which pushed the Bison back into a tie for 30th place.
With two rounds left to play and knowing that they needed to play better to return into contention, Gallaudet went back to the Westminster Longs for the third round and delivered the most spectacular performance in the club's brief history. The Bison caught fire with a scorching 12-under-par (47) to have the best round of the day, along with two other teams. This massive surge vaulted them 17 spots in a single afternoon, tying them for 13th and proving they could hang with the best programs in the country.
The final round took place at Winthrop Meadows. In a high-stakes environment, the Bison remained composed, shooting a solid 8-under-par (50) to finish with a cumulative score of 22-under-par.
This finish represented a massive improvement for the program, which placed 24th of 47 teams in its debut last year. The Bison climbed into the top 20 despite a significantly larger, more competitive field of 67 teams.
While the quartet in South Carolina grabbed the attention, the season's success was a total team effort. Senior
Travis Carrizales (Austin, Texas), who played throughout this year and was a part of last year's inaugural nationals appearance, will also be departing the program this year. As Johnson, Barron, Carrizales, and Holmes played their final collegiate rounds, the impact of this founding class – and particularly Holmes' dream of playing on a college disc golf team, leaves a legacy for the next generation. That torch now passes to first-year standout
Darius Zarembka (Riverside, Calif.), who is poised to take a leadership role alongside the veteran Baer to lead the Bison into the next season.
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UP NEXT:
This concludes the 2025-26 season for the Gallaudet disc golf team.
