Silvis, IL. - Blue Mountain Christian sophomore Cobey Riddle concluded an impressive run at the 2026 NAIA Men's Golf National Championship on Friday at TPC at Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois, finishing tied for 15th individually against some of the nation's top golfers.
After helping lead the No. 12 Toppers to one of the most successful seasons in program history, Riddle continued competing individually after Blue Mountain Christian narrowly missed the team cut earlier in the week. 
Riddle remained in contention throughout the tournament and represented the Toppers well on the national stage across all four rounds.
In Friday's final round on the par-70 course, Riddle battled through adversity to post a score of 77. 
After a difficult opening stretch on the front nine, Riddle responded with a strong recovery over the final holes of the tournament.
He played holes 10 through 18 at just three-over par, including pars on holes 11, 12, 14, 16, and 17.
Riddle's performance throughout the week capped a breakout sophomore campaign that saw him emerge as one of the top golfers in the NAIA. 
Earlier this season, Riddle captured an individual title at the Coastal Georgia Fall Invitational and consistently remained ranked among the top golfers nationally throughout the year.
The Toppers also saw standout seasons from junior Alex Nordstrom, freshman Simon Meiby, Acen Lambert, and Damil Ataullah as Blue Mountain Christian maintained a national ranking inside the NAIA Top 15 throughout the season and reached as high as No. 4 in the country.
Head Coach Kevin Barefield praised Riddle's composure and competitiveness throughout the national championship.
"Cobey competed with tremendous heart all week long," said Barefield. "To finish inside the top 15 at a national championship says a lot about the player and competitor he is becoming. I'm proud of the way he represented our program and battled through every round. This entire team gave everything they had this season, and Cobey's performance this week was a great reflection of the culture we are continuing to build at Blue Mountain Christian."
The appearance at the NAIA National Championship concludes a historic 2025-26 season for the Blue Mountain Christian men's golf program.
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