On May 15, as most of campus packed up their dorms for the summer, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) Men’s golf team was 2,500 miles away in Florida, busy winning the 2026 NCAA Division III national championship.
After taking home their 17th SCIAC championship in April, the team made their way to the Mission Resort in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida, to battle for the Stags’ second national DIII title. The team’s performance landed them in a playoff shootout with the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans, and they ended the day 15 below par to win the championship title.
Sebi Aliaga CM ’29 had a standout performance at the tournament. Aliaga shot 10 under par, placing him a stroke ahead of Washington and Lee University’s Jonathan McEwen to win the national individual title, the first for CMS since Brad Shigezawa CM ’14 in 2013.
Aliaga recalled a key moment for himself, and the team, during their championship campaign.
“I saw that our team was kind of struggling, and I was in it as myself for an individual title, and I knew both of them were going to be pretty close,” he said. “I hit two really great shots, about 15 feet for eagle, and I was able to convert the eagle putt.”
Aliaga’s performance allowed both him and the Stags to pull ahead and secure the title.
“I think it was just a huge swing of momentum to really unleash the final charge for the team and give us one last effort coming down that back nine,” Aliaga said.
With the fall semester underway, maintaining last season’s success is no easy task. For head coach Mitchell Fedorka, the key to keeping that momentum up as the team enters a new campaign is to prepare the same way they did before they became reigning champions.
“We had a good formula that seemed to work,” Fedorka said. “A part of it is not to get complacent. Last year was exceptional, but right now it doesn’t mean anything to an extent, so [we are] just focusing on what we have to do to prepare for each event throughout this new season and go about things like we never won.”
Aliaga, now a captain alongside Jamison Tan CM ’27, stressed the importance of leaning on the tight-knit, competitive nature of the team as they chase the back-to-back titles.
“Guys want to beat each other, which is phenomenal,” Aliaga said. “It really pushes everyone to be the best, but once we’re off the course, we’re just like any other amazing group of friends. Being on the golf team, you spend a lot of time together and I think we’ve really just grown to fall very fond of each other.”
For Teddy Turo CM ’30, the sole first-year on the team, Aliaga has led the way in making him feel at home on the team.
“[Aliaga has] honestly been a great teammate,” Turo said. “Coming into Claremont, he’s really been the guy I’ve been going to for help and asking him all the questions. He’s been super supportive and always tries to include me in everything that we’re doing team-wise.”
Turo has already made some statement efforts in adjusting to the culture, in line with team expectations. In his first tournament with the program earlier this week, he suffered a deep cut on his right index finger. With much determination (and two gloves), he played through the entire course.
“He could have packed it in, and shot a higher number,“ Fedorka said. “But in the second round, he went four under in his last five holes to basically save our team two strokes.”
If the team can attack this season the way they did last year, they are certainly at the start of something great. But that doesn’t mean dominance will come easy. The team lost several key contributors from last year, including former team captain Jack Rende CM ‘26. However, the foundation that carried CMS to the top remains firmly in place; strong leadership, a competitive culture and an eager roster are paramount for the road ahead.
With Aliaga and Tan leading the way and newcomers already embracing the team’s identity, the Stags have their sights set on the championship in Williamsburg next May.