By Jamie Lambert
EWC Student

TORRINGTON, Wyo. - Eastern Wyoming College (EWC) is proud to announce that men's golf standout Taiki Sugawara has officially committed to continuing his academic and athletic career at North Carolina A&T, a Division I institution.

Sugawara made the announcement on Monday afternoon, surrounded by his EWC golf teammates and Head Coach Zach Smith.

"It feels amazing," Sugawara said. "I wanted to go to a Division I college, so I am happy to go."

Since arriving at EWC as a freshman in 2023, Sugawara has had a significant impact on the golf program. In his first season, he secured two tournament victories and four additional top-four finishes. His impressive performance and work ethic continued into his sophomore year, where he has already claimed three tournament wins and two more top-three finishes, consistently standing out in Region XI competition.

"I love this place," Sugawara added. "I don't want to graduate, but I am really excited to go to North Carolina A&T."

Smith commended Sugawara for both his athletic ability and his positive influence on the team.

"Taiki is great. He's the type of kid that when he got to campus, everyone loved him—on and off the course," Smith said. "It's great for recruiting—when you can say that you send people on to Division I programs, it makes coming here really valuable."