The Valdosta State men’s golf team is competing on Monday, October 12, and Tuesday, October 13, 2026, in the Copperhead Championship. The tournament is held at the Innisbrook Resort’s Copperhead Course in Palm Harbor, Florida, and is hosted by Saint Leo. This event presents a significant challenge for the Blazers as they go up against some of the top collegiate golf programs in the nation.
The 54-hole tournament is played on a par 71 layout, with 36 holes scheduled for the first day of competition on Monday, followed by the final 18 holes on Tuesday. The 17-team field features a highly competitive lineup, with 11 teams currently ranked in the Sept. 25 Bushnell/Golfweek Division II Coaches Poll.
Among the top contenders are the nation’s top five teams: No. 1 Florida Southern, No. 2 North Georgia, No. 3 Grand Valley State, No. 4 Lincoln Memorial, and No. 5 Lee. Other nationally recognized teams participating include Nova Southeastern (No. 8), Wingate (No. 11), host Saint Leo (No. 14), Barry (No. 15), Lynn (No. 22), and CSU Pueblo (No. 25). Valdosta State is noted as among the teams receiving votes in the national poll.
Valdosta State’s lineup for the championship features seniors Alexander Nilehn, William Carestam, and Adam Waller, alongside freshman David Wagner Jonah Nacional. Senior Nick Mueller is also competing in the tournament as an individual player.
Jonah Nacional returns to the lineup after a successful collegiate debut where he won the Dunning Invitational. In that event, Nacional shot 13 under par with rounds of 69, 67, and 67, making 18 birdies and leading the field for nearly the entire tournament. The Blazers also secured the team title at the Dunning Invitational, finishing 16 under par at 848 total strokes, highlighted by a closing round of 282, which was their best of the event. During the Dunning Invitational, Nilehn tied for fourth, Waller tied for ninth, and Carestam tied for 14th.
Prior to the Copperhead Championship, the Blazers finished 13th at the Hurricane Invitational, which took place on October 5-6 in Albany, Georgia. At that event, the team recorded a 36-hole score of 594, with rounds of 299 and 295. Alexander Nilehn was Valdosta State’s top finisher, tying for 22nd at 1-over 145. David Wagner notably shot a 1-under 71 in the final round, which was the team’s best round of the event, and climbed 18 spots to tie for 33rd.
Alexander Nilehn and William Carestam are familiar with the Copperhead Course, as both competed in last year’s Copperhead Championship. In the previous year’s event, the Blazers finished 15th in a 17-team field with a 54-hole score of 908. Nilehn posted a score of 222 (76-73-73), and Carestam finished with a 231 (79-78-74).
