Raya Nakao

Height:
5-3
Class:
Junior
High School:
Punahou HS
Hometown:
Kaneohe, Hawai’i

SOPHOMORE (2024-25): Played in all 11 tournaments … Had a scoring average of 72.39 in 33 rounds, the fourth best in Oregon State single-season history and the best by a sophomore in program history … Voted to the 10-member WCC All-Conference Team … Named an All-American Scholar by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) … Selected to the 10-member WCC All-Academic Team … Named WCC Golfer of the Month for April … Had four Top 10 finishes, tied for the eighth most in Oregon State single-season history … Shot nine sub-par rounds … Won the individual title at the WCC Championship (-4, 212), her first collegiate win … Best score was a 6-under 66 in the first round of the WCC Championship … Best three-round score was a 7-under 212 at the Nanea Invitational where she finished in a tie for fourth place … Finished in a tie for fourth place at the Nanea Invitational (-7, 212) … Finished in a tie for sixth place at the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational (-4, 212) … Finished in eighth place at the San Diego State Classic (-3, 213) … Finished in a tie for 11th place at the Molly Collegiate Invitational (+1, 217) … Finished in a tie for 20th place at the Juli Inkster at Meadow Club Invitational (+4, 220) … Finished in a tie for 22nd place at the Leadership and Golf Invitational (+4, 220) … Finished in a tie for 26th place at the Causeway Invitational (+5, 221) … Finished in a tie for 31st place at the Silverado Showdown (+6, 222) … Finished in a tie for 29th place at the NCAA Regionals (+5, 221).

FRESHMAN (2023-24): Played in all 12 tournaments … Had a scoring average of 72.05 in 35 rounds, the best in Oregon State single-season history … Named an All-American Scholar by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) … Had four Top 10 finishes, tied for the seventh most in Oregon State single-season history … Shot 14 sub-par rounds … First collegiate tournament was the Dick McGuire Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M. where she finished in a season-best fifth place … Best score was a 5-under 67 in the first round of the Dick McGuire Invitational … Best three-round score was an 8-under 208 at the Molly Collegiate Invitational where she finished in a tie for fifth place … Finished in a tie for fifth place at the NCAA Regionals (-7, 209) … Finished in a tie for ninth place at the Pac-12 Championship (-3, 213) … Finished in a tie for 11th place at the Stanford Intercollegiate (-1, 212) … Finished in a tie for 13th place at the Nanea Pac-12 Preview (+1, 220) … Finished in a tie for 18th place at the Silverado Showdown (+3, 219) … Finished in a tie for 41st place at the NCAA National Championships (+5, 221).

HIGH SCHOOL: Graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawai’i in 2023 … Participated in golf all four years of high school for head coach Anna Umemura Murata … won the HHSAA State Championship as a junior and set the tournament record for lowest score with a 9-under par … Graduated with a 3.9 GPA.

JUNIOR/AMATEUR GOLF: Named one of the 2021-22 Division I Golfers of the Year and the Most Inspirational Player.

PERSONAL: Born in Kaneohe, Hawai’i … Daughter of Randy and Rona Nakao … Father is a printer technician and mother is an office manager … Has one sister, Rayna … Hobbies are drawing and gaming … Chose Oregon State because “I wanted to play golf at the collegiate level. The team seemed like a family I could be a part of, and I feel my game would be able to improve there” … Majoring in University Exploratory Studies.