Women Golfers Tee Off on Sunday For State Championship Glory
2016 CCCAA Women’s Golf State Championship Contact:
Jerry Hannula CCCSIA Women’s Golf Rep Cell: (949) 292-6736
MORRO BAY TO HOST STATE’S TOP COMMUNITY COLLEGE WOMEN GOLFERS THIS WEEK
Sixty of the best community college women golfers in the state will be on the Central Coast this weekend for the California Community College Athletic Association women’s golf state championship. The two-day, 36-hole event will take place on Sunday and Monday, November 13-14, at the Morro Bay Golf Course.
The top four community college golf teams from colleges north of Morro Bay will be representing Northern California while the top four programs south of Morro Bay will be representing Southern California. This is the third consecutive year that the CCCAA state championship is being held on the Morro Bay course.
Although last year’s state champion, Santa Barbara City College, has earned a return trip and will try to defend the state title, it’s still a toss-up as to who this year’s favorite will be heading into the state championship event.
Sierra College (Rocklin, CA) captured the North Regional championship on the Butte Creek Country Club course in Chico with a two-day total of 620 (312-308) and would have to be considered one of the favorites to capture this year’s state championship. Nao Bando led the Wolverines with an even-par 144 (74-70) to capture individual medalist honors at the north regional, posting the only under-par score of the tournament. Teammate Gurman Kaur was six strokes back at 150 (74-76) to tie for individual runner-up honors with Cañada College’s Aman Sangha (75-75).
Santa Barbara City College and Cuyamaca College (El Cajon, CA) probably have the best shot at catching Sierra. Santa Barbara captured the South Regional championship at the Los Serranos Country Club with a two-day total of 633 (326-307) to edge Cuyamaca by one stroke (319-315). Carolin Chang of Santa Barbara finished 4-under-par at 144 (73-71), coming in below par on both days on the par-74 course layouts. Vaquero teammate Vanessa Watkins finished as the individual runner-up at 150 (76-74) while Cuyamaca had three of the top six individual finishers in Jule Loibl (153), Melanie Stark (155), and Leanna Mena (158).
CCCAA WOMEN’S GOLF (ADD 1-1-1-1)
Modesto Junior College, Fresno City College, and Cañada College (Redwood City, CA) will be the other teams representing the north region while Irvine Valley College (Irvine, CA) and Saddleback College (Mission Viejo, CA) will round out the field from the south region.
In addition to the eight qualifying teams, there will be six individuals from each region who have qualified to battle for individual medalist honors. Monique Torres-Jimenez (165) and Jessica Rudd (168) – both from Reedley College – are the top two individual qualifiers from the north region while Lichi Liu (152) and Kabrea Rosas (159) – both from College of the Desert (Palm Desert, CA) – are the top two individuals out of the south region.
One of the issues facing the participants each year is the tricky putting associated with the Morro Bay course. Six of these teams have already played this course as participants in the North/South Invitational earlier this season. Santa Barbara and Sierra tied with two-day totals of 629 while Modesto (667) and Fresno (692) finished third and fourth, respectively. Cuyamaca and Saddleback did not play in that tournament. Sangha was the individual medalist with a 4-under-par total of 140 (72-68) with Bando (145) finishing second. Chang and Irvine Valley’s Araceli Esquivel tied for third at 149.
Santa Barbara City College has four state titles to its credit while Irvine Valley has won two state titles and Saddleback has one state title. Only one college from the north region has ever won the state championship, Sacramento City College in 2009. Santa Barbara’s Chang was the individual medalist last year with a two-day total of 151 (76-75) while Cuyamaca’s Stark is the closest returner, finishing ninth last year with a 165.
Tee times for the CCCAA women’s golf state championship begin at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday and 8:30 a.m. on Monday with the awards presentation ceremony taking place on Monday afternoon once all of the scores have been posted.