One by one, challengers fell by the wayside, and Colin Prater was on his way to his first Springer championship at Valley Hi Golf Course.

Prater, who placed fifth for Colorado-Colorado Springs at the NCAA regional championships last month in Las Cruces, N.M., shot a workmanlike 71 Sunday to finish the three-day tournament with a five-shot victory in the championship flight.

“This is a goal I had to start the summer with,” said Prater, a 2013 Palmer graduate. “To accomplish that goal is nice. I didn’t drive the ball well this weekend, but I putted well. It was probably my best putting performance of 2016.”

He was one of only two golfers in the 18-member field to finish under par during final-round play. Steven Morris shot the day’s first 71.

Prater started the round with a one-shot lead on Grady Castle, but it didn’t take long for that margin to increase to five following two Prater birdies and a Castle double-bogey on the front nine.

“I wish I could have put some pressure on Colin,” said Castle, who coaches the St. Mary’s boys’ golf team.

“The course played tough today. I rolled in some putts on Saturday, but rolled in only one from 12 feet today. That was it.”

Recent Doherty graduate Chadd Vasquez finished third overall (219) following a 3-over-par 75 Sunday. Christian Turney (221) and Tim Long (223) finished out the top five.

Other Springer gross champions included Steve Ivan (senior championship); Kevin Massey (first flight), Benj Rose (second flight), Ray Phelps (senior first flight) and Eric Pocius (senior second flight).

Springer net champs were Turney (championship), Massey (first), Dave Mann (second), Larry Nicks (senior championship), Phelps (senior first) and Pocius (senior second).

Prater started the day with five consecutive pars, then made consecutive birdies on Nos. 7 and 8. On the back nine, he was steady with seven pars, a birdie and a bogey.

“No one was making birdies, so I was playing conservative,” Prater said. “I was just keeping the ball in play, making pars and making the guys come catch me. It was very nice to have the lead so I didn’t have to force or push anything.”

The rest of the lead group wasn’t as fortunate.

Vasquez, just two shots back to start the day and three heading into the back nine, unraveled after taking a bogey on No. 11, the first of two straight three-putts in which he lost two strokes.

“I hit my driver well, but couldn’t get it on the green,” said Vasquez, who will join Prater at UCCS this fall. “That three-putt on 11 threw me off. It was my first time in the last group, so that felt good. I’m looking forward to playing with Colin the next two years.”

He got one back with a birdie on the par-5 No. 13, but gave it back one hole later and double-bogeyed No. 16.

Recent Mesa Ridge graduate Braden Bentley, who started the day just four shots off the pace, struggled late, going 10-over par on the last nine holes to card an 84.