RAIDERS PULL FIFTH PLACE FINISH AT CLEVELAND STATE INVITATIONAL

CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Roane State men's golf finished fifth at the Cleveland State Invitational after posting rounds of 312, 300 and 304 over two days of competition.

Head coach Chris Griffin said the tournament was a strong example of the team's growing mental toughness, particularly after a challenging opening round left the Raiders with ground to make up.

"We showed a lot of perseverance," Griffin said. "The guys had a rough start, but anybody watching the scoreboard noticed that we rose from the bottom up to fifth place by the time it was all over."

Roane State responded with a 12-stroke improvement in the second round, carding a 300 to move up the standings before closing with a 304 in the final round Tuesday, March 24. Griffin credited the team's focus on routine and mental preparation for the turnaround, noting that those elements are beginning to translate into results.

"The guys are sticking with their mental approach and their routines, and it's starting to pay off in the end," he said.

Weather conditions, while improved from previous events this spring, still presented challenges. Strong winds and heavy pollen created difficult playing conditions throughout the tournament, impacting competitors across the field.

"It was really windy, and the pollen was blowing so hard that it looked like smoke," Griffin said. "It got a lot of players. That's a huge factor this time of year."

Despite those conditions, several Raiders delivered standout performances. Freshman Lennon Hill led the way with a third-place finish, briefly holding the tournament lead late in the final round before settling into a tie for third.

"Lennon was in the lead with four or five holes to go," Griffin said. "He experienced what it feels like to lead, and he'll take things away from that. Just like all sports, you've got to fail before you win."

Freshman Collin Keino continued his consistent spring campaign, finishing sixth overall despite what Griffin described as an off performance by his standards.

"Collin continues his stellar performance," Griffin said. "He finished sixth and really had a bad tournament. That just tells you where his talent is."

Keino's steady presence has been a key factor for the Raiders throughout the season, providing reliable scoring in each event. His ability to remain competitive even when not at his best reflects the program's emphasis on consistency and mental discipline.

Freshman Andersen House, coming off a TCCAA Player of the Week honor, rebounded from a difficult opening round to contribute in the final two rounds with back-to-back scores of 74.

"Golf is punishing," Griffin explained. "Andersen had a really rough first round, and it kind of woke him up. You don't show up and get good scores — you've got to earn it. He did that in the second and third rounds."

Griffin emphasized House's team-first mentality as a key asset, noting his ability to recover and contribute after early adversity.

"Andersen is a great team player," Griffin added. "He's just excellent."

Roane State's performance comes as the program moves inside the top 10 in the national rankings, another milestone in a season marked by steady progress and competitive results.

"We just moved up to 10th place in the country," Griffin said. "That's awesome news for our performance."

With one regular-season tournament remaining, the Raiders will face a field of four-year programs at the Music City Classic in Nashville, an opportunity Griffin views as a critical step in preparation for conference and postseason play.

"It's another opportunity to get out there and learn about yourself and be a better team player," he said. "This is a great chance to do that before conference and postseason start."

The Music City Classic is scheduled for April 13-14, 2026. Final scores will be posted on the team page at roanestate.edu/mensgolf.