College of the Canyons captures women's golf state title; Fullerton's Jeon earns medalist honors
MORRO BAY - College of the Canyons was the team favorite to capture this year's California Community College Athletic Association women's golf state championship and the Cougars didn't disappoint on Monday, winning the programs third title with a two-day, 36-hole team total of 615 to win by 18 strokes.
Canyons, which had captured previous women's golf titles in 2001 and 2007, posted four scores in the 70's on the final day of the tournament to post a 306 on Monday, staving off a run from College of the Desert which finished as the state runner-up with a 633 score after posting a team score of 308 on Monday.
Haruka Koda of Canyons posted a two-day total of 1-under-par 143 (72-71) to lead the Cougars to the title. JoJo Roecker added a 77 on Monday with Jessie Lin and Paige Heuer carding 79's. Roecker and Lin each posted a two-day total of 154 to tie for seventh place in the individual standings. Koda was the individual state runner-up, finishing one stroke behind Fullerton College sophomore Eunsoo Jeon who finished with a 142 (69-73).
College of the Desert saw Zoe Walker post a 73 on Monday while Dagmar Urbankova and Lilyanna Rodriguez each carded a 76 as the Roadrunners separated themselves from the rest of the pack in the race for second place. Sierra College (Rocklin, CA) edged Santa Barbara City College for third place, 654-655, as Kelsey Blaylock (77) and Melanie Anderson (79) improved over their first day scores. Alexa Bleth of Santa Barbara posted her best score of the season on Monday (74) and Stephanie Farouze added a 79, but the Vaqueros trailed Sierra by nine strokes after the first day and couldn't fully close the deficit on Monday.
Jeon earned the individual title this year after finishing 11th at the state championship a year ago. She played bogey-free golf on the first day on the way to a three-under-par 69 and added two birdies with three bogeys in her second round for a one-over-par 73. Koda had four birdies and three bogeys on the way to her 71 and state runner-up honor.
Tammy Lim of Fresno City College posted five birdies on the way to a 70 for Monday's lowest score and finished with a two-day total of 146 to finish third overall. Irvine Valley College freshman Katie Stribling had three birdies and finished with a 74 on Monday to place fourth individually at 148. Walker's 73 included three birdies and helped her place fifth overall with a two-day total 149. Santa Barbara's Bleth slipped into sixth place with a 153 (79-74) to round out the top six players who earned all-state honors.
(Jerry Hannula, Saddleback College)