Sunday, April 26, 2015

CSUMB women's disc golf wins major




In the team's first season of competition, the CSU Monterey Bay women's disc golf club team won the 2015 National Collegiate Disc Golf Championship, a Professional Disc Golf Association major, last weekend.

The team, made up of Traci Alger, Mikaela Bogdan, Jenn Schopfer and Guillermina Rodriguez, edged the University of Oregon by one shot to win the tournament title at 736. The Otters led by seven shots heading into the finals, but the Ducks quickly whittled away at the Otters' lead. Down by a shot, Oregon missed a putt on the final hole, allowing CSUMB to lay up and take the title.

"It was great to have challenging competition such as the Oregon Ducks, a Division I school," Alger wrote in an email.

Alger led the way for the Otters, taking eighth in the individual competition.

"The most exciting thing about the competition for me was making the cut for the women’s individual championship," Alger said.  "The top eight women competed in a round that went into the dark on the third day of competition, which consisted of 13 holes of the Old Glory championship course. The focus and determination of all those women was difficult to beat."

CSUMB was one of only two schools to field a team in every division (women's championship, men's championship, men's first flight, men's second flight).

The team's coach, Merle Witvoet, also teaches a disc golf class at CSUMB. Sierra Lewis paved the way for the CSUMB women's disc golf team last year, competing as an individual before a women's team was created. The Otters are supported by events and fundraisers held by the disc golf club on campus.

The team practices at the Cypress Course and Oaks Course at CSUMB, as well as the Ryan Ranch Disc Golf Course in Monterey.  The club plans to help create a disc golf learning course in the park next to Los Arboles Middle School in Marina.

There will be a new disc golf course in the area before that, at least for a weekend. Alger, Witvoet and club Vice President Michael Goitia are in charge of volunteer coordination for the inaugural St. Jude Disc Golf Charity Invitational at Bayonet Golf Course on May 22-24. The Professional Disc Golf Association event is being held to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Friday, April 10, 2015

Local golf notebook


While the golf world focuses in on Augusta National Golf Club, things are heating up locally as the end of the season approaches for Monterey County college and high school golf teams.

While the CSU Monterey Bay men's golf team ended its streak of three consecutive tournament titles this week, the Otters still managed a third-place finish in the Western New Mexico University Mustang Intercollegiate at at Palm Valley Golf Club in Arizona. CSUMB's Fredrik Jullum took second place, finishing a shot off the lead at 6-under 210. It was the Jullum's top tourney score of the season, beating a 217 from last month.

"I am happy to see Fredrik up near the lead the entire tournament, as well as Carr (Vernon) and Robby (Salomon) having solid finishes," CSUMB coach Jason Owen said in a statement.

Vernon and Salomon finished tied for 10th place at even par. Proving the depth of the team, six golfers have led the Otters at tournaments this season. CSUMB wraps up the regular season at the Hanny Stanislaus Invitational at Turlock Golf and Country Club on April 13-14, before gearing up for the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championship the following week.

CSUMB women

The women's golf team at CSUMB wrapped up its regular season this week with a seventh-place finish at the Sonoma State Spring Invitational on Foxtail Golf Club's North Course. Freshman Brianna Areia wasn't able to hang onto her first-round lead at the tourney, but she finished in second place at 7-over 151. Sophomore Katrina Mendez, a Trinity Christian alumna, finished tied for 14th.

The Otters' season may be over if they aren't seeded into the NCAA Regional tournament, because the CCAA doesn't sponsor women's golf so there is no CCAA women's tournament.

MPC men

The men's golf team at Monterey Peninsula College ranks atop the Coast Conference and might be the best junior college team in Northern California.

Will Cross is leading the conference with a 72.8 stoke average, but it was Greg Moreno who led MPC with a 1-under 70 at Rancho Cañada's East Course this week. The Lobos earned the team win by seven shots over West Hills in a Coast Conference match.

MPC competes Monday at Kings River Golf and Country Club in Kingsburg. The NorCal Regionals will be held May 3-4 at Merced County Club.

High school

The two Monterey County boys golf teams to compete in last year's Central Coast Section Championships, Stevenson and Palma, went head-to-head last week and the matchup lived up to the hype.

Stevenson shot 203 to Palma's 207 to earn a close win at Laguna Seca Golf Ranch. The Pirates' Nick Simmons shared medalist honors with Andrew Grogin of the Chieftains at 39.

Rounding out the scoring for Stevenson was Luis Ruiz (40), Sunny Yan (41),  Armand Melendez (41),  Tivon Sadowsky (42) and Nick Rivera (42). Hansi Hell carded a 41 for Palma, followed by Joey Burlison (42), Caleb Cater (42), Jack Burlison (43) and Travis Winn (43). This week, Palma defeated Loyola of Los Angeles 381-386 at Laguna Seca.

Palma and Stevenson get back into league play next week, with the Chieftains hosting a Gabilan Division match at Laguna Seca on Wednesday and the Pirates facing Carmel at Rancho Cañada on Tuesday.

The Mission Trail Athletic League Championship will be held April 30 at Poppy Hills and the Monterey Bay League Championship takes place April 27 at The Club at Crazy Horse Ranch. The CCS Regional tournaments take place May 5-6, with the CCS Championships May 12.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

CSUMB men's cross country off chopping block



After being told last month that the team would be cut after the 2015 fall season, it appears the CSU Monterey Bay men's cross country team is off of the chopping block.

Jaime Madrigal, a senior on the CSUMB men's cross country team, said coach Greg Rhines had a meeting with the team Wednesday morning and told the athletes that the program was not being dropped. Madrigal says the runners were also told that the school plans on adding a men's track team in the next one to three years.

On March 12, another team meeting was held with CSUMB's athletic director, Kirby Garry, and the runners were told of plans to cut the team. The following week, Garry told The Herald that no decision had been made regarding the future of the program.

Immediately after the athletes learned of what seemed to be the impending demise of their program, they took to social media with the hashtag #SaveMBXC and created an online petition on Change.org. The petition has more than 2,200 signatures.

CSUMB currently has a women's cross country team and a women's track team. The women's track team, currently competing this season for the first time since it was established, shares all of its athletes with the cross country squad.