Colby Dean is a senior on the men’s golf team. He has six top-ten finishes in his career so far, and 12 finishes in the top 20. He won the Interwest Wildcat Classic in early October, and is the leader of a young but experienced Chico State team. Dean plans to build on his solid foundation in his final season.

What got you into golfing and what kept you interested in the sport?

My grandpa got me into playing golf. I stayed interested because of the fact that golf is impossible to be perfect at. Knowing that there will always be something to improve on everyday is what keeps me going back for more.

Why did you decide to attend Chico State?

I knew that coming to Chico would give me the opportunity to compete for a national title year-in and year-out. Also playing in warm weather year-round was a huge plus for me.

You’re originally from Idaho. How much different is living in Chico, and was the move hard for you at first?

There are a few similarities since both cities allow you to do a lot of outdoor activities because there’s so much open space, but the main difference is the weather. I can only golf for about 9 months out of the year in Idaho, while in Chico I can golf year-round.

Yeah it was pretty hard at first not being around my family, but I got used to it after a couple weeks and couldn’t be happier to be here in Chico.

Knowing that the Chico State golf team has had so much success before you, how does it feel to be the leader of a very talented team this year?

Its a satisfying feeling knowing my years of hard work here are paying off, but more importantly its a motivating feeling and a feeling I will never take for granted. I try to set the best example for the rest of my teammates, whether that’s on or off the course.

Patrick Pace can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_sports on Twitter.