Close to 20 Class of 2026 Colorado junior golfers headed for NCAA Div. I programs as early signing period begins
By Gary Baines – 11/14/2025
Perhaps it was an indication of what was to come when last month’s Colorado boys state high school golf tournaments produced a sweep of the individual titles by seniors. In fact, for the first time, four seniors claimed individual victories on the same day in those events.
A month later, at least three of those state champs have signed grant-in-aid agreements with NCAA Division I golf programs. Miles Kuhl of Fairview High School (5A) is headed to San Diego State, Hunter Simmons of Grand Junction H.S. (4A) to DePaul and Nicholas Brooks of Lutheran H.S. (3A) to Butler.
But looking at the graduating Class of 2026 for Colorado golfers as a group, a whopping 17 players — at a minimum — have formalized their college golf commitments to Division I programs since the early signing period began on Wednesday. By historical standards, that’s a very high number for a single class of Colorado junior golfers — especially this early in the signing process.
Overall, including other levels of college golf programs, at least 26 Colorado players from the Class of 2026 have committed to compete in college golf.
Some of the notables from this group of Colorado high school seniors:
— Three of the DI signees will be staying in Colorado to play their college golf — 2024 5A state champ Gavin Amella of Castle View High School (University of Colorado), Austin Hunt of ThunderRidge H.S. (University of Denver) and Campbell McFadden of Valor Christian (University of Northern Colorado).
— Two sets of the incoming DI golfers will be teammates in college: 2025 5A state champ Miles Kuhl of Fairview H.S., and 2025 CGA State Junior winner Brayden Forte of Cherokee Trail H.S., at San Diego State; and Dalton Sisneros of Cherokee Trail and Gregory White of Eaglecrest H.S. at Radford in Virginia.
Addison Hines (center) is UNLV-bound.
— Nine of the Colorado senior DI signees are members of the second class of Team Colorado, the elite junior squad that’s part of the USGA National Development Program — Amella (CU), Zoe Bar-Or (Montana), Brooks (Butler), Forte (San Diego State), Addison Hines (UNLV), Hunt (DU), Kuhl (San Diego State), Tess Morris (William & Mary) and White (Radford).
— Two sets of the new DI signees are from the same high school (Lutheran) — Brooks (Butler) and Morris (William & Mary); and Forte (San Diego State) and Sisneros (Radford).
— Three of the commitments from the Class of 2026 have been selected Future Famers by the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame — Brooks (Butler), Forte (San Diego State) and Kuhl (San Diego State). And Kuhl was the CGA Boys Player of the Year in 2024.
Miles Kuhl of Fairview High School (above) and Brayden Forte of Cherokee Trail will be college teammates at San Diego State.
Though we’re reporting primarily on the graduating Class of 2026 here, it should be noted that CGA Girls Player of the Year Ella Scott — currently a junior — has verbally committed to play her college golf at North Carolina State.
Without further ado, here’s the list of Class of 2026 high school golfers from Colorado who have signed and/or committed to play college golf beginning next year:
(Note: This list will be updated. For additional signings, please notify us at golfjournal@coloradogolf.org)
Gavin Amella of Castle Rock and Castle View HS — University of Colorado (NCAA Div. I)
Brynn Balliet of Thornton and Riverdale Ridge HS — South Dakota State (NCAA Div. I)
Zoe Bar-Or of Greenwood Village and Littleton HS — University of Montana (NCAA Div. I)
Houston Benvenuto of Aspen and Aspen HS — Babson College (Mass.) (NCAA Div. III)
Jack Brayman of Erie and Peak to Peak HS — Gonzaga (Wash.) (NCAA Div. I)
Nicholas Brooks of Parker and Lutheran HS — Butler (Ind.) (NCAA Div. I)
Mac Buckley of Denver and Arapahoe HS — Winthrop (S.C.) (NCAA Div. I)
Brayden Forte of Aurora and Cherokee Ridge HS — San Diego State (NCAA Div. I)
Karina Garcia of Windsor and Resurrection Christian HS — Colorado Christian University (NCAA Div. II)
Addison Hines of Arvada and Ralston Valley HS — UNLV (NCAA Div. I)
Landon Houska of Fort Collins and Fossil Ridge HS — University of Minnesota (NCAA Div. I)
Austin Hunt of Highlands Ranch and ThunderRidge HS — University of Denver (NCAA Div. I)
Elijah Johnson of Denver and (Denver) East HS — Colorado Christian University (NCAA Div. II)
Miles Kuhl of Boulder and Fairview HS — San Diego State (NCAA Div. I)
Alexander Kukreja of Denver and (Denver) East HS — Gettysburg College (Pa.) (NCAA Div. III)
Campbell McFadden of Greenwood Village and Valor Christian HS — University of Northern Colorado (NCAA Div. I)
Ava McLain of Monument and Palmer Ridge HS— Colorado Christian University (NCAA Div. II)
Olivia Meyering of Parker and Ponderosa HS — Dordt University (Iowa) (NAIA)
Wyatt Montoya of Littleton and Chatfield HS — Arizona Christian (NAIA)
Tess Morris of Franktown and Lutheran HS — William & Mary (Va.) (NCAA Div. I)
Tatum Platt of Cherry Hills Village and Cherry Creek HS — Denison University (Ohio) (NCAA Div. III)
Parker Shaw of Pueblo and Pueblo West HS — CSU Pueblo (NCAA Div. II)
Hunter Simmons of Grand Junction and Grand Junction HS — DePaul (Ill.) (NCAA Div. I)
Dalton Sisneros of Aurora, Cherokee Trail HS — Radford (Va.) (NCAA Div. I)
Billy VerStraate of Lone Tree and Highlands Ranch HS — Jacksonville University (Fla.) (NCAA Div. I)
Gregory White of Centennial and Eaglecrest HS — Radford (Va.) (NCAA Div. I)
Meanwhile, here are some of the out-of-state golfers who have signed with Colorado-based college golf programs:
CU Men
Colt Farrow of Andover, Kan.
CSU Men
Lung-Jui Kai of Taiwan
University of Northern Colorado Men
Jack Abraham of Paradise Valley, Ariz.
Air Force Academy Men
Jonathan Jeon of Fullerton, Calif.
CU Women
Araxy Kirokian of Mexico
Isabella Piazza of Phoenix
CSU Women
Jacey Kage of Honolulu
Ella Slicker of Leawood, Kan.
Khemmanut Solarum of Thailand
DU Women
Kesha Louw of South Africa
Victoria Richani of Corona, Calif.
About the Writer: Gary Baines has covered golf in Colorado continuously since 1983. He was a sports writer at the Daily Camera newspaper in Boulder, then the sports editor there, and has written regularly for ColoradoGolf.org since 2009. The University of Colorado Evans Scholar alum was inducted into the Colorado Golf Hall of Fame in 2022. He owns and operates ColoradoGolfJournal.com