BROOKS -- Cal State LA's women's golf team couldn't have asked for a better day than the Golden Eagles enjoyed on Wednesday on the final round of the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships at the Yocha Dehe Golf Club.

Morgan Sjoerdsma won the CCAA individual championship, Marie Dean finished fifth to join her on the All-CCAA Tournament Team, and the Golden Eagles shot a final-round 298 to finish second in the conference.

All this just four years after the Golden Eagles competed in the first-ever CCAA Championships and finished sixth with a total of 1,132, more than 200 strokes out of fifth place.

There were plenty of hugs and cheers behind the green at the 18th green after Sjoerdsma clinched her championship with a clutch two-putt par to prevail in what turned out to be a riveting match play scenario with Cal State San Marcos' Makenna Cabardo. Sjoerdsma shot a final round of 1-under-par 71 to finish the tournament with a 54-hole score of 221.

Sjoerdsma picked a nice time to earn her first collegiate tournament title.

She did it in wire-to-wire fashion, sharing the lead after one round, surging to a four-shot lead after the second round and then holding off a masterful charge from Cabardo, who put the pressure on with a 4-under-par 68.

Sjoerdsma shot her best round of the tournament on Wednesday and she needed it to hold off Cabardo. The new champion started well, picking up three birdies over the first five holes to overcome a first-hole bogey. She increased her lead to six shots after the fifth hole before Cabardo caught fire. There was a three-shot swing on the par-5 sixth hole when Sjoerdsma bogeyed and Cabardo rolled in a nice eagle putt. Cabardo picked up another shot on the par-3 seventh hole after a birdie to slice the lead to two and the duo was tied for the lead with yet another Cabardo birdie on the 12th.

The two, paired in the final grouping, traded some big-time pars down the stretch to keep things even. Sjoerdsma just missed taking the lead on the 16th hole when her long birdie putt lipped out and both golfers had two-putt pars on the par-5 17th hole.

On the decisive 18th hole, Sjoerdsma again found the green in two and finished her round with a brilliant two-putt par to win it.

The Golden Eagles turned in a spectacular team performance to earn their second-place finish. On another cold and difficult day at the Yocha Dehe Golf Club, the Golden Eagles shot one of their best rounds of the season - a 298 - to finish with a total score of 927. Cal State San Marcos successfully defended its conference title after a final round of 287 for a three-day total of 909. Cal State LA's final round of 298 allowed the Golden Eagles to finish ahead of three other programs ranked nationally ahead of them.

No. 36 Cal State East Bay was third with a score of 932, No. 29 Cal State Monterey Bay was fourth with a score of 937 and No. 35 Sonoma State was fifth with a score of 945. Chico State was sixth with a score of 983. On the final day, Cal State LA's 298 was better than Cal State East Bay's 306, Cal State Monterey Bay's 306, Sonoma State's 307 and Chico State's 327.

Following Sjoerdsma's 71 was Dean, who also shot another outstanding round with a 3-over-par 75. She had rounds of 76, 78, and 75 to finish with a total of 229. Dean rolled in three birdies and finished with a par on the difficult 18th hole to secure her All-Tournament spot.

Pratima Sherpa also had an outstanding round on Wednesday, recording her best score of the season with a sparkling 75. She finished 18th overall with a total of 238. She had four birdies on the day to highlight her best round.

Emily Wang was steady throughout the entire tournament and followed up rounds of 81 and 81 with an 80 on Wednesday. She came up clutch with a birdie on the par-5 10th hole to highlight her final round.

Caitlyn Jimenez had the biggest improvement on Wednesday with a final round of 77 to finish in a tie for 23rd with a total of 245. Jimenez had three birdies on the day, including two in a three-hole stretch on the back nine to help the Golden Eagles make their late surge.

CCAA Championships
At Yocha Dehe Golf Club
Team Scores -- 1. Cal State San Marcos 909; 2. Cal State LA 927; 3. Cal State East Bay 932; 4. Cal State Monterey Bay 937; 5. Sonoma State 945; 6. Chico State 983
Individual Scores (Top 5 Earn All-Tournament Honors) -- 1. Morgan Sjoerdsma (Cal State LA) 76-74-71 --  221; 2. Makenna Cabardo (Cal State San Marcos) 78-76-68 -- 222; 3. Madison Murr (Cal State San Marcos) 78-78-72 -- 228; Samantha Cabunag (Sonoma State) 82-73-73 -- 228; 5. Marie Dean (Cal State LA) 76-78-75 -- 229
Cal State LA Scores -- 1. Morgan Sjoerdsma 76-74-71 -- 221; 5. Marie Dean 76-78-75 -- 229; 18. Pratima Sherpa 82-81-75 -- 238; 21. Emily Wang 81-81-80 -- 242; T23. Caitlyn Jimenez 83-85-77 -- 245
2022 CCAA All-Tournament Team
Morgan Sjoerdsma, Cal State LA
Makenna Cabardo, Cal State San Marcos
Samantha Cabunag, Sonoma State
Madison Murr, Cal State San Marcos
Marie Dean, Cal State LA