Methodist University Men's Golf Wins Record 14th Division III National Championship at 21-Under Par

Methodist University's men's golf program won its 14th NCAA Division III national championship in May 2024, firing a 72-hole score of 21-under par at Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nevada, according to azcentral/USA TODAY Sports. The score set a new D3 championship record.

The previous 72-hole record was also set by the Monarchs, back in 1998, at 9-under. They more than doubled it.

They beat reigning champion Carnegie Mellon by one stroke.

"It's tough to win," head coach Steve Conley told NCAA.com. "I mean, we just set the 72-hole scoring record for the national championship in Division III, and we only won by one."

Senior Cooper Hrabak Closes It Out

Senior Cooper Hrabak was Methodist's low scorer for the tournament, shooting 11-under par to finish one stroke behind individual medalist Michael O'Sullivan of Oglethorpe. Hrabak sealed the team title with a 25-foot birdie putt in the final round.

Caleb Ryan tied for sixth at 6-under. Chase Walts tied for 17th at 2-under after a first-round 66 that included two eagles. Aiden Spampinato tied for 24th at even par after opening with a 68 and two eagles. Cameron Cappuzzo tied for 71st at 10-over but shot par in his final two rounds.

The Monarchs tallied 73 birdies across the entire tournament, according to azcentral.

"These guys are like my brothers and I'm never going to forget this moment," Cappuzzo told NCAA.com after the win.

Hrabak, Ryan, Walts, and Cappuzzo were all named to the GCAA All-America team. Hrabak specifically joined Rob Pilewski, Chad Collins, and Adam Horton as the only four-year first-team All-Americans in program history.

What Conley Has Built

Conley started coaching at Methodist in 1988 and has won every one of those 14 national titles. His full championship list: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994 through 1999, 2010, 2015, 2018, 2022, and 2024.

The run from 1994 to 1999 was six straight titles. Nine in ten years.

In 2007, at age 44, Conley became the youngest coach ever inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. He has been named D3 national coach of the year eight times, regional coach of the year 17 times, and conference coach of the year 25 times.

Along with the 14 national titles, his program has produced 25 conference championships, nine D3 individual national champions, and 58 All-Americans, per azcentral.

The Context

Some will ask whether Division III athletics deserves serious attention alongside the Power programs that dominate college sports headlines. D3 programs operate without athletic scholarships, meaning every player on Methodist's roster chose to be there on academic terms. Sustained excellence under those conditions, across 34 years and 14 championships, reflects a different kind of institutional achievement than building a team with full-ride recruits. The 21-under scoring mark remains significant regardless of that distinction.

What Comes Next

Methodist entered 2024 already holding 13 titles. The Monarchs also won in 2022, the most recent championship before this one. Whether Conley, now in his early 60s, can push the program to a 15th title, and whether any other D3 program is positioned to seriously challenge Carnegie Mellon's runner-up standing, remains to be seen when the 2025 tournament results are evaluated. As of June 16, 2026, no source in this dataset addresses what happened in the 2025 D3 championship.